Gravity
by ethereallie
Summary: "It doesn't make any sense, why would he bring these two people together, make them fall in love, open up to one another, make them feel like they were meant to be together and then just pull them apart..." April said blankly. - AU: My take after 8x24. Please R&R. Thanks!
1. Help me get over

**Chapter One: Help me get over**

* * *

"_**I know that this wound will bleed again, now I'm here right beside the one I love. I see he's in love with someone else, now I know I just got to let him go because it's over, help me get over. I don't know what to do. There is no easy way of letting go but I know there's no sense in holding on too much to something fading, help me get over you..."**_

* * *

_**Flashback: **_

_Jackson was fixing his tie when he saw April's reflection on the mirror; "I chose Tulane" he said. _

_April paused and turned around to face her best friend; "Good, that's good for you."_

_Jackson turned around and met her gaze; "Yeah." He then turned away and began walking towards the door, when his about to reach it, he turned towards April again; "I feel sick by the way, sick to leave here-to leave you" he said through gritted teeth. "But I'm glad, I'm glad you're so freaking happy about it." he added bitterly. _

_April felt her shackles rise upon hearing his statement; "I'm not, I'm not happy with any of it. I'm not happy that everything I thought I was turns out not to be true. I'm not a board certified surgeon, I'm not a virgin, I'm not a good Christian, I don't know what I am but I know I'm not happy" she said with disdain. She then stared at Jackson's guilty demeanor and almost instantly she felt her face soften; "I loved having sex with you, you made me feel things-you changed me Jackson and I loved that. But I hate that I'm not a virgin for the man I'm gonna marry, I'm not freaking happy about that" she said tearfully. _

_Jackson looked away, guilt ebbing inside his chest. _

_"-And I'm not really happy that you feel bad about it coz you're my best friend but you know what, Torres is right. My problems will still be my problems, tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and in a few weeks my best friend will be at Tulane and I may never see him again so just for one night, I'm just gonna forget about all that and I'm gonna try, I'm gonna try to be happy. I'm happy tonight, I'm gonna be happy Jackson coz this is a happy time and we should be celebrating, okay? So, can you please just wipe that freaking frown of your face and be happy with me?"_

_Jackson stared at April for a moment before letting out a small comforting smile; "You look really nice" he said. _

_April swallowed back her tears as she tries her best to smile back; "So do you" _

_Jackson walked towards his best friend and offered his arm for her to take. _

_April smiled at Jackson and looped her arm around his. _

_Jackson began leading them towards the door as April leaned her head on his shoulder. _

_**End of Flashback**_

* * *

"KEPNER!"

April shot up from her chair and hastily turned towards the door; "What happened? What's wrong?" she asked frantically.

Alex leaned on the door frame and rubbed his eyes tiredly; "The plane arrived an hour ago and they're all being attended to right now" he said.

April's eyes widen; "Is there anything we can do? I mean we can probably assist in-"

"Don't bother, I already tried" Alex said sourly. He then pulled away from his perch and began moving towards the couch; "I went there as soon as the ambulance came but Bailey and Webber won't even let me near them" he said as he plops down.

"Oh" April said as she slowly sat down on her chair.

Alex crossed his arms on top of his chest and pursed his lips; "They said I'm _too _attached" he said disdainfully. He then furrowed his brows; "Too attached my ass! Avery is practically glued to Lexie's gurney and they have no say about it! I mean, come on!" he huffed.

April felt a pinch inside her chest but she chose to ignore it; "I'm sure they only mean well, I mean Mer and Cristina are practically your family and Arizona is your mentor..."

Alex scowled; "You're supposed to side with me" he said. He then huffed and leaned back on the couch; "And what's up with Avery? I thought he broke up with Lexie? Why is he acting like a distraught husband or something?"

April felt another pang inside her chest, this time, knocking some air out of her chest. She hastily avoided her gaze and began gathering her things on top of the table; "Y—yeah, they broke up, I don't know" she mumbled.

Alex leaned his head at the back the couch and placed his legs on top of the coffee table; "I'm gonna shut my eyes for a couple of minutes, wake me up if anything comes up."

"O—okay" April replied. She then leaned back on her chair and placed her shaking hands on top of her thighs; _"Now is not the time to feel what you're feeling, you are not selfish and there are more important things to worry about—like your friends-a job, you no longer have a job here" _she thought to herself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson closed the door to Lexie's room with a relieved sigh; he then padded towards the nurses' station and leaned forward. "Page me if there are some changes with Dr. Grey's stat, It doesn't matter what time, just let me know, okay?"

The nurse in green scrubs nodded; "I will Dr. Avery" she said.

"Thank you" Jackson said. He then began walking towards the room next door; he slowly turned the knob and peered inside; "Hey" he said.

Callie tore her eyes away from Mark's frail form and turned towards the door; "Hey" she replied tiredly.

Jackson stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him; "How is he?" he asked.

Callie smiled a small smile; "He woke up a couple of minutes ago, he's gonna be alright" she said.

Jackson smiled; "That's good to hear" he replied. He then shoved his hands inside his lab coat pockets and stood at the foot of the bed; "I just checked on Lexie's room, she's out of the woods, she just needs to wake up" he said.

Callie nodded; "That's good..." she said. She then patted Mark's hand and stood up; "I need to check on Arizona to see if she's awake, will you stay with him?" she asked.

"Yeah—sure" Jackson replied.

Callie threw a thankful smile at Mark's prot before leaving the room.

Jackson moved towards the chair that Callie vacated and settled himself down; he then leaned towards the bed placed his hand on his mentor's arm. "I'm happy that you made it. Rest well because I just turned down Tulane and I know you won't let me hear the end of it" he said. He then leaned back on his chair and continued staring at his friend.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April shrugged on her jacket and plucked her bag from her chair; she moved towards the couch and leaned forward. "Alex?"

Alex slowly opened his eyes; "What?" he asked groggily.

"You can stay and sleep here, just lock the door if you leave, okay?"

Alex rubbed his eyes; "Where you going?" he asked.

April stood straight; "I'm babysitting Zola for the rest of the evening but I'll be back tomorrow" she said.

"I see" Alex replied.

"I'll go get Zola now, you can stay here. If you're hungry there are some chocolate bars in my drawer and some leftover food in the ref" April said.

"Thank you. Drive safely" Alex said.

April nodded before stepping out of her office.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Dr. Avery?"

Jackson's eyes snapped open upon hearing his name being called; he turned his head sideways and saw a nurse standing by the door. "Yes?" he asked.

"Dr. Grey is awake"

Jackson shot up from his chair and hastily walked towards the door; "Thank you, I'll go check on her" he said.

The nurse nodded and opened the door wider.

Jackson threw the nurse a grateful smile before jogging towards the other room; he pushed the door open and smiled; "Hey"

Lexie turned her head sideways and let out a pained smile; "H—hey" she croaked.

Jackson stepped inside the room and made a bee line towards the bed; "I know you feel like shit but I'll still ask how do you feel?" he asked.

"Like I've been in a plane crash" Lexie replied.

Jackson chuckled; "Good to know your sense of humor is still intact" he replied.

Lexie swallowed hard and winced; "Where's my sister? Mark? Where's Mark?" she asked between tears.

Jackson pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down; "Meredith and Cristina are both okay, just superficial wounds. Derek is still sedated but Torres is already making a plan on how to repair his hand. Arizona is also sedated and they're just waiting for her to wake up. Mark already woke up an hour ago, he's just resting" he explained.

Lexie let out relieved sigh; "Thank God. I thought we're all a goner—I thought we'll all die..." she murmured as tears began falling down her bruised cheeks.

Jackson hastily leaned forward and began wiping Lexie's tears; "Shhh...Don't cry, everybody is alright...sssshhhh" he cooed.

April tightened her hold on the strap of her bag as she watches the _couple _from the window; she bit her bottom lip hard to keep her lips from wobbling as myriad emotions began storming inside her chest.

"Kepner?"

April jerked from her reverie and turned around; "Hey-"

"Why are you just standing there? You know you can enter the room, right?" Callie asked with furrowed brows.

April forced out a smile before shaking her head; "It's okay-I'm not here to visit-I-err—I just need to get Zola from Meredith's room and I guess I was given the wrong Grey" she explained.

"Meredith's room is beside Derek's, they're on the 3rd floor, room 3241" Callie said.

"O-okay then, I'll just go there. Thank you Callie, I'll go now" April said hastily. She then made a bee line towards the staircase and hastily went inside, closing the door with a loud snap.

Callie furrowed her brows as she crossed her arms on top of her chest.

"Hey-Lexie's up, if you want to visit. Who are you talking to?"Jackson asked as he closed the door behind him quietly.

Callie turned towards Jackson; "Kepner, I saw her standing here" she replied.

Jackson furrowed his brows; "April? Why didn't she come in?" he asked.

Callie shrugged her shoulders; "I asked her the same thing but she told me that she's headed to Meredith's room, looks like she's babysitting Zola for the night" she said.

"Oh"

Callie walked towards Jackson; "How is she?" she gestured towards Lexie's room.

"She's a little shaken but she's okay. She's looking for Mark" Jackson said.

Callie bit her bottom lip and threw Jackson a remorseful look.

"Don't look at me like that Torres, it's okay" Jackson said defensively.

"Okay" Callie replied.

Jackson frowned; "I'm fine. Really. I know how Lexie feels for Mark and I accepted that a long time ago. I'm cool with it" he said.

Callie just nodded; "Alright then" she replied.

Jackson eyed the Ortho Attending for a couple of seconds before rolling his eyes; "I'll go get some coffee" he said before leaving in a huff.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April wiped her cheeks as she climbs up the stairs; _"Stop crying. You're not supposed to cry. You have no right to cry" _she chastised herself. Once she reached the 3rd floor landing, she took a deep calming breath and squared her shoulders; "Let's do this so you can leave this place" she said to herself. She then pushed the door open and sauntered along the hallway with a purpose.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Alex was locking April's former office when Jackson saw him; he walked towards his friend and saddles up beside him. "Sloan and Lexie already woke up" he said.

Alex turned his head sideways; "That's good to hear. Do you have any news about Mer and Cristina?"

Jackson shoved his hands inside his lab coat pocket; "Meredith and Cristina are okay, looks like they only suffered superficial wounds, they're already accepting visitors. April is on her way to Mer's room, if you want, we can go there together, Cristina is on the same floor" he offered.

Alex double checked the lock before turning towards Jackson; "Let's go" he said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Meredith asked.

April smiled as she wrapped her arms securely around Zola's tiny body; "I've been taking care of Zola for quite some time now Mer, don't worry about us" she replied.

"I'm not talking about Zola, I'm talking about you. Your eyes are red and puffy" Meredith said.

April let out an awkward laugh; "It's nothing-I had rhinitis a couple of minutes ago but I already took meds, so I'm good" she lied.

Meredith opened her mouth to speak but was cut off with Alex barging inside the room. He made a bee line towards the bed and engulfed his friend into a hug; "I'm so glad your okay" he whispered.

Meredith returned the hug and patted Alex's back; "Me too" she replied.

Alex pulled away and began inspecting Meredith's injuries; "Does anything hurt?" he asked as he poked and prodded his friend.

Meredith began swatting Alex's hand away as she let out a chuckle; "I'm fine Alex, really" she said.

"Good to see you're doing fine Mer"

"I'm happy to see you too Jackson" Meredith said with a smile.

April tightened her hold on Zola upon hearing Jackson's voice; she hastily hefted the baby bag from the chair and smiled at Meredith; "I think I'm gonna go Mer, Zozo looks sleepy."

Jackson stepped inside the room and stood beside his best friend; "Do you need a ride? I can take you to the apartment" he offered.

April shook her head as she fixed her eyes on Zola; "It's alright, you're much needed here. I can manage" she replied. She then moved towards the bed and leaned forward; "Kiss Mommy goodnight Zozo" she cooed.

Meredith leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her daughter's chubby cheeks; "Goodnight love bug, be good to Aunt April. Mommy and Daddy will see you again tomorrow" she said.

April threw Meredith another smile before pulling Zola into her arms; "I'll take care of her and we'll be back tomorrow morning" she said. She then turned on her heels and smiled passively at the other two surgeons; "See you guys tomorrow" she said before leaving the room in haste.

Meredith leaned back on her pillows; "She's in a rush" she observed.

Alex settled himself down at the foot of the bed and huffed; "It's Kepner, if she's not annoyingly perky, she's always in a rush, nothings new there" he said.

"Hey" Jackson chided.

Alex turned his face towards Jackson and raised his brow; "What? It's not like she heard it or something" he said. He then narrowed his eyes; "And what's your deal with Lexie? I thought you guys broke up?" he asked.

"Alex!" Meredith chastised.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "You're an ass. I'm checking on Lexie for Mark. When he first woke up he asked me to look after her" he said. "And don't talk about April that way, regardless if she hears it or not" he said.

"Whatever" Alex said.

Meredith threw Jackson a rueful smile.

Jackson shook his head; "I'll leave you guys here. I need to go home and change as well. Be back in an hour, I'll also check on April and Zola" he said before leaving the room.

Meredith shifted her gaze to Alex; "Stop picking on April. She's done more for us than we have done for her" she said sternly.

"I know that and I'm not being mean to Kepner, I was actually nice to her a couple of hours ago" Alex said.

Meredith crossed her arms on top of her chest as she raised her brow; "Then why is her eyes red and puffy, hhmmnnn?" she asked.

Alex shrugged his shoulders; "No idea" he replied.

Meredith stared at her friend for a couple of seconds before shaking her head.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April buckled the car-seat securely before closing the door; she then climb inside her seat and turned on the ignition. She then peered behind her; "Where do you want to sleep Zozo? Do you want to head to my apartment or your house in the woods?" she asked

Zola just giggled as a response.

April smiled at her charge; "Hmmnnn, I have an idea. Why don't we go to my apartment first to get my clothes then we can head to your house and spend the night there. I'm sure you miss your bed, is that right baby girl?" she cooed.

Zola clapped her hands as she giggles.

"It's settled then" April said. She then closed her door and locked it; she braises her hand on the wheel and shifted the gear. "No time to waste" she said happily.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson pulled his keys of the ignition and opened the door; he stepped out of his car and closed the door behind him with a loud snap. He then locked it with a flick of his thumb and began looking around the parking lot; he furrowed his brows upon noticing that April's car is nowhere to be seen. He then jogged towards the door and unlocked it with his keys; he pushed the door open and frowned when he saw that it's empty. "Where on earth are they?" he asked to himself. He closed the door behind him and plucked his phone from his pocket; he tapped at it a couple of times and shifted it to his ear. After a couple of rings, the red head in question answered his call. "April?"

"H—hey, why are you calling?" April asked.

"I came home to an empty apartment" Jackson said.

"Yeah about that, I'm at Mer and Derek's place, I bought Zola home, she misses her bed"

"Oh, I see. Do you have any change of clothes there? I can bring you some if you need-"

"No—I'm okay. I have clothes with me" April said frantically, cutting him off mid sentence.

"Are you alright? You sound weird"

April's laugh echoed on the background; "I'm peachy. We'll be fine here, don't worry about us" she said.

"Are you sure?" Jackson asked again.

"I'm fine Jackson. Zola and I will be fine, I babysat her multiple times already, I can handle her"

"If you say so" Jackson said.

"Is there anything else?"

Jackson frowned; "Why do you seem in a hurry? You left the hospital in the same way" he said.

April sighed wearily; "I'm tired, okay? I just need a minute to rest, this day has been—really _tiring _for me."

Jackson's face softened; "I know—good thing they're all safe" he said.

"Yeah-well I should go. I'll talk to you tomorrow then, have a good night" April said.

"Okay, night" Jackson replied.

"Bye."

Jackson pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at his phone confusedly; "Did she just hang up on me?" he asked.

* * *

"_**Now I see, you're so happy with her, deep inside I just don't know what to feel. I'm sure, You don't need me anymore, so I'll go on, try my best to just move on. Now that it's over, I got to get over..."**_

* * *

**The next day: **

April knocked on Meredith's door before opening it; she peered inside and smile upon seeing that Meredith is already awake.

"Hey" Meredith said.

April pushed the door open and stepped inside; "Good morning, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm good, pain meds are science's gift to man" Meredith said with a chuckle.

April giggled; "I now know why you're so perky" she joked.

Meredith smiled; "Zola's at the Daycare?"

"Yep, I wanted to bring her here before taking her to the Daycare but Dr. Bailey caught me" April said with a wince.

Meredith rolled her eyes; "Bailey's such a spoil sport"

"Don't I know it?" April said with a chuckle.

Meredith cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brows; "Why haven't you change into your scrubs yet?" she asked.

April shoved her hands inside her pockets and shifted her weight on each foot; "I don't have work" she replied.

"What do you mean you don't have work? It's Monday, right?"

"Yep, it's Monday" April replied.

Meredith frowned; "April?"

April stared at Meredith for a couple of minutes before admitting the truth; "Err—Seattle Grace also pulled their offer-last night was my last shift here as a resident" she said.

Meredith's eyes widen in shock; "WHAT?!"

April smiled awkwardly; "Yeah-Err-but don't worry about it, I'll be alright" she said.

"But-but they can't do that!" Meredith said.

"It's really alright Mer, they need a board certified surgeon and I flunked my boards, other doctors that are more deserving can take my spot, I understand that"

Meredith's mouth hangs open as she stares at her friend in disbelief.

April swallowed the lump in her throat; "I'll be staying for a couple of more days so I can still babysit Zola until you get discharged, so don't worry."

"I'm not worrying about who's babysitting my daughter, I'm worried about you! They can't cut you off from a fellowship, you're a brilliant surgeon and I can't believe Owen let this happen! I'm gonna talk to him and ask him to-"

"That's not necessary Mer" April said, cutting her friend off.

"What?" Meredith asked incredulously.

April cleared her throat; "I already spoke with the Chief and he explained it to me clearly, so it's really okay"

Meredith scowled; "It's not okay. You can't leave, not after that stupid plane crash. You belong here, with us" she said adamantly.

April felt her eyes prickling with tears upon hearing her friend's statement; she swallowed again before letting out a teary smile. "I wish I can stay but like I said, yesterday was my last day here. But don't worry-I'll still be around, I'll try to find a hospital here in Seattle as well" she said.

"I'll still talk with Owen" Meredith said.

April let out a defeated sigh.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April exited the elevator and began walking towards the hallway; she went directly towards the nurses' station and smiled. "Hi there Cecil, good morning"

"Good Morning Dr. Kepner" Cecil replied.

"Can Dr. Sloan accept visitors?" April asked.

Cecil nodded; "Of course, Dr. Torres just left his room to check on Dr. Robbins, go on ahead"

"Thank you!" April chirped. She then walked towards Mark's room and quietly pushed the door open; she peered inside the spacious room.

"Kepner? What are you doing there? Come inside" Mark said.

April smiled at the Plastics Attending before stepping inside the room; she closed the door behind her and walked towards the bed. "How are you Dr. Sloan?" she asked.

Mark grinned; "My handsome face is still intact, thank God" he replied.

April giggled; "You're a little bit bruised but no worries, you still look good"

"That's what I like about you Kepner, you're honest" Mark said. "Is it your off today?" he asked while gesturing towards April's attire.

April's smile falters as she clears her throat; "Y—yeah" she lied.

"I see" Mark replied.

April shoved her hands inside her pants; "Well, I'm just checking to see if your okay, you should rest" she said.

Mark nodded; "Alright doc" he said cheekily.

April laughed at the irony; "See you later Dr. Sloan" she said with a little waive before stepping out of the room.

"Done already?" Cecil asked.

April nodded; "Yep, he's awake and seems to be back to his old self" she said.

Cecil chuckled; "He's a charmer" she said.

"Charmer is an understatement" April replied. She then gestured towards the other room; "Can Dr. Grey accept visitors too?" she asked.

"Yes but I think Dr. Avery is there, I haven't seen him leave that room since last night, but you can definitely check" Cecil said kindly.

April's gritted her teeth to reign her emotions before forcing out a smile; "Thanks Cecil, I'll just check then" she said.

Cecil nodded before turning her gaze back to her charts.

April dragged her heavy feet towards the door; once she's right in front of it, she took a deep calming breath and closed her eyes. _"You can do this, you're just checking on a friend-you need to detach your feelings, you will detach now!" _she thought. She opened her eyes and pasted a smile on her face; she turned the knob and peered inside the room.

"April" Lexie croaked.

Jackson turned towards the door and smiled at his best friend; "Hey" he greeted.

April pushed the door wider but stood close to it; "Hey-I'm just checking on you, how are you Lex?" she asked.

"Like I've been run over by a plane" Lexie joked.

Jackson chuckled.

April felt a pang inside her chest upon seeing the interaction between the two but she pushed it away; "_detach" _she thought. She let out a forced smile; "Your sense of humor is still outstanding Lex" she teased.

Lexie smiled; "One thing that didn't suffer from the stupid plane crash" she replied.

Jackson stood from his perch and gestured towards it; "You can take my chair Apes" he offered.

April shook her head; "No-you sit down. I'm not staying long, I just wanted to see how Lexie's doing. I still have 2 stops left" she said.

Jackson raised his brow; "Who?" he asked.

"Cristina and Arizona" April said

"Oh, I see" Jackson said. He then furrowed his brows as he stares at April; "Why aren't you in your scrubs?" he asked.

"It's my off today" April replied.

"Off?" Jackson repeated.

April nodded; "Yeah-I switched off's" she explained. She then shifted her gaze towards Lexie and smiled; "It's nice to see your doing good Lex but I have to go, I'll try to drop by some other time, get well soon" she said. She then turned toward Jackson and gestured towards the door; "I'll see you around, bye!" she said somewhat cheerfully.

Jackson opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the door closing.

"April is acting weirder than usual" Lexie observed.

Jackson turned toward Lexie and crossed his arms on top of his chest; "What did I say about calling her weird?"

Lexie looked sheepish; "Sorry" she said.

Jackson rolled his eyes before turning his gaze towards the door; "Something's wrong with her and I'll find out soon" he mumbled to himself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April entered the fire exit and closed the door behind her; she leaned back on the door and rubbed her eyes furiously. "Stop it! You can't cry every time you see them together. You have no right to feel jealous or hurt because he didn't promise you anything. You jumped him April and not the other way around, you're just a one night stand and he's still clearly in love with her. Pull yourself together and suck it up, you only have a couple of days left before you go home, you can do this" she said to herself. She then wiped her cheeks again and took a deep breath; she pasted a smile on her face and began climbing the stairs.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Did Owen tell you that he cut April off the program?" Meredith asked.

"What do you mean cut off?" Cristina asked.

"He pulled his offer! April is jobless!" Meredith said.

Cristina's eyes widen in surprise.

Meredith furrowed her brows; "Based from your reaction, I can see that you don't know anything about it too" she huffed. She then crossed her arms on top of chest and leaned back on her pillows; "I can't believe your husband, he's cutting off a good surgeon."

Cristina leaned back at the footboard; "Did April talk to Owen? Did she try to negotiate with him?" she asked.

"Yes she did but Owen said that it's already a done deal and April is refusing to speak with him again because according to her;"_There are other deserving board certified surgeons who deserves the fellowship", _she flunked her boards so she's just giving up" Meredith said.

"But there are other surgeons here that aren't board certified!"

"Exactly my point!"

Cristina furrowed her brows; "I'll talk with Owen to see what happened" she said.

"Good because Apes belongs here and you and I both know it" Meredith said.

Cristina nodded in agreement.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April knocked on Arizona's room before peeking inside; "Is she awake?"

Callie smiled at the red head resident and gestured for her to come inside the room; "She woke up a couple of minutes ago but fell asleep again, must be the meds" she said.

April stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her; "How is she?" she asked.

"The infection was thankfully contained by the antibiotics and it's getting better. Good thing we were able to fly out there as soon as possible or they might've amputated her leg."

"That's good to hear" April said.

Callie nodded; "Yeah"

April shifted her gaze towards Arizona's frail form; "They're all healing well, they'll be back to their feet before we know it" she said.

Callie chuckled; "I hope so, Karev is way over his head" she said.

"I heard. He's much needed here and I'm sure that Arizona is way better than the surgeons in Hopkins anyway"

"That she is" Callie said while gently rubbing her wife's arm.

April smiled at the gesture and cleared her throat; "Well, I better head out. I still need to drop by Cristina's room to check on her" she said.

"Thanks for visiting April, I'll tell Arizona you dropped by"

April nodded; "Okay, catch you later" she said before spinning on her heels and exiting the room.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Aren't you tired of his company Lex?"

Jackson turned towards the door with a smirk on his face; "Look who the cat dragged in, you have a visitor Lex" he said.

"Alex" Lexie said with a smile.

Alex smiled back and began walking towards the bed; "How are you Little Grey?" he asked.

Lexie smiled at the use of her old nickname; "I just came from a plane crash but aside from that I'm cool" she replied.

Alex chuckled; "You haven't lost your touch yet" he said.

Lexie shifted in her bed; "I know you came with a purpose Alex because you _rarely_ do casual visits, so, out with it" she said knowingly.

"Hey! I wanted to check on you too" Alex protested.

Lexie rolled her eyes; "I know that, so, what is it?"

Alex let out an aggravated sigh before turning towards Jackson; "We're shorthanded at the pit, you're needed there" he said.

"Oh okay" Jackson replied. He then stood up from his perch and grabbed his lab coat from the chair; he shrugged it on and gestured towards the door. "I'll go now Lex, see you later" he said before leaving in a haste.

"You're shorthanded at the pit? Why did they let April switch off's then?" Lexie asked confusedly.

Alex furrowed his brows; "She's off today?" he asked.

"Yeah-she just dropped by a couple of minutes ago"

"That's weird" Alex said. He then gestured towards the door; "Got to head out too Lex, you rest and get well soon" he said.

Lexie smiled; "Thanks Alex" she said.

Alex nodded before walking away.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Excuse me but do you know where Dr. Yang is?" April asked the unfamiliar nurse at the nurses' station.

The nurse stared at April confusedly; "She's in her room" she replied.

April raised her brow; "I wouldn't be looking for her here if she's in her room" she replied.

The nurse shot up from her chair and bolted towards the room; she pushed the door open and began searching for her patient frantically.

April braised her elbows on the counter as she watches the nurse.

"Why are you standing there like a fool when you know for a fact that you can wait inside my room just like a normal visitor?"

April turned her head sideways and saw an I.V. dragging Cristina walking towards her; "Why are you walking around the hospital in that hideous gown when you're supposed to be lying on your bed like a normal patient?" she quipped.

Cristina grinned; "Touché, you're learning fast" she said.

April smiled back; "I learned from the best" she replied.

Cristina stood beside April and followed her gaze; "Are nurses supposed to clean our rooms too?" she asked.

April rolled her eyes; "She's not cleaning, she's looking for her petulant patient."

Cristina made a face of distaste when the nurse tried searching for her under her bed; "Did she seriously think that I'd be hiding under my bed?" she asked.

April giggled.

Cristina crossed her arms on top of her chest and watched as the nurse shifted away from the bed and began roaming around the room again.

April threw Cristina a side glance and pointed at the room; "Aren't you telling her that you're actually here?" she asked.

Cristina grinned; "It's not my fault that she's an idiot" she said.

"You're awful" April said. She then turned towards her friend and stared at the with concern; "You're frolicking around the hospital, I can assume you're okay now?"

Cristina waived her hand dismissively; "I'm tougher than a plane crash, it's just awful that I lost my other shoe, that's my favourite pair."

April shook her head in disbelief; "You can buy a new pair, I'm elated that you're all okay" she said.

Cristina smiled at April; "We got lucky, good thing the sparkle thingy works" she said.

"Yeah, thank God for those signal lights"

Cristina leaned on the nurses' counter; "Mer told me, we're planning on talking to Owen to have this fixed" she said.

April licked her lips nervously; "Y—you don't have to do that-I'm really fine. I'm sure I can find another hospital that I can-"

"Stop right there Kepner" Cristina said sternly. She then eyed April seriously; "If there's one thing that this plane crash taught us, it's to stick together. You belong here in Seattle Grace Mercy West, board certified or not. There are a lot of surgeons here who flunked their boards and we don't see them being dismissed. You were let go easily and Mer and I think that you were not given a fair chance, you are a good surgeon-well-not as good as me but you still shine with what you do so you have to stay."

"I-I-don't know what to say-"

Cristina smirked; "Don't say anything just sit tight and we'll do the talking, heaven knows you're no good at negotiating" she teased.

"I don't think it's necessary because Chief Hunt already spoke with me but if you insist, thank you" April said.

"Owen doesn't think before he speaks sometimes, my husband is like that. I'll set him straight"

April chuckled.

"Dr. Yang! Where have you been? I've been looking for you all over and you're-"

"Oh hush! I've been standing here for awhile now and you haven't even notice. And you're looking under the bed? Are you for real?" Cristina said sarcastically.

The nurse looked abashed; "I'm sorry" she whispered.

April took pity on the nurse and shifted closer to her friend; she gently pried the I.V. away from Cristina's grasp and began ushering her towards the door. "I'll take her to her room, just do your job right next time" she said.

The nurse nodded.

Cristina followed April like a good patient; "Not bad Kepner, you're learning, more snark and you'll rank next Alex" she teased.

April laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Alex sauntered inside Meredith's room and plopped down on the couch; "I'm freaking tired" he groaned.

Meredith tore her eyes away from the book she's reading and stared at her friend; "Peds?" she asked.

Alex rubbed his eyes tiredly; "Multiple Traumas at the pit, I just got out of surgery" he said.

Meredith pouted; "Stupid plane crash! I would've been down there" she said.

Alex leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes; "I'm not supposed to be handling the pit but Kepner is missing in action. Trauma is her specialty, she would've been in heaven with all those patients coming in" he said.

Meredith closed her book and stared at Alex; "You didn't know?" she asked.

"Didn't know what?" Alex asked.

"April was dismissed-Owen didn't keep her"

Alex's eyes snapped open as a frown marred his face; "What?"

"It's true, she told me this morning. I doubt that she'll tell me if I didn't ask her why she's not in her scrubs."

"What the hell is Hunt thinking? Is it because she didn't pass her boards?"

Meredith nodded; "Yep"

Alex scrunched his face in disgust; "Damn the boards! There are other surgeons here who didn't pass their boards, in fact I know one in Ped's and he's a Fellow" he said.

"Exactly my point"

"Did she try talking with Hunt?"

"Yes and she's convinced that Owen was right" Meredith replied.

"Unbelievable!" Alex huffed. "Hunt should favour her just this once because he convinced April to choose Trauma as her specialty in the first place! If she stayed in Neuro I'm sure that Shepherd will fight for her to stay!"

Meredith sighed; "I know" she said.

Alex shook his head in disappointment; "I don't know what to say."

"Cristina told me that she'll talk to Owen first, if he doesn't cave in then I'll do the talking" Meredith said.

Alex shot up from his perch; "I'll talk to him now" he said before leaving the room.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April just stepped out of the elevator when Jackson saw her; he hastily took his gloves off and made his way towards her. "April!" he called out.

April paused and turned towards the hallway; she felt a pang inside her chest upon seeing his familiar face. "Hey Jackson" she said.

Jackson smiled and stood right in front of his best friend; "You shouldn't have switched your off today, the pit is bursting with Trauma" he said.

"_I didn't switch my off, I no longer work here and if you only took time to talk to me instead of gluing yourself beside Lexie's bed, you would've known" _April thought sadly. She forced out a smile; "Really? I ran out of luck I guess" she said.

Jackson braised his hands on his hips; "Where are you going? It's your off right?"

"Yeah—Just here and there, nothing in particular" April replied.

"Want to hang out at Joe's after my shift?" Jackson said.

April grasped the strap of her bag tightly; "I'll just text you-I'm not sure"

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Is something wrong? You seem—_different"_

"_Everything is wrong. I'm jobless, you're pining over her and I'm stupid enough to believe that we're more than just a one night stand" _April thought. "I'm fine. You're imagining things" she said dismissively.

"Okay-You sure?"

April opened her mouth to respond but she was saved from lying when Jackson's pager went off; "You should take that" she gestured towards the pager.

Jackson plucked the device from his belt and read the message; "I'm needed at the pit for a consult" he groaned.

"Go."

Jackson nodded; "Just text me if you can hang out at Joe's later, okay?"

April nodded; "Yeah—" she replied.

Jackson threw her a loop sided smile before turning on his heels and walking towards the pit.

April watches as his back disappeared from the E.R. doors; she let out a dejected smile before walking away.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Chief Hunt, can I speak with you for a moment?"

Owen tore his eyes away from the documents his perusing and nodded; "Of course, come right in" he said.

Alex stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him; he walked towards the Chief's desk and sat at the chair.

"What can I help you with?"

"I'm not gonna beat around the bush here because I know that you're busy and so am I. I just want to know why you terminated Kepner" Alex said bluntly.

Owen leaned back on his chair; "I didn't want to but there are budgeting issues that needs to be considered and-"

Alex frowned; "Why only her? Is it because she's not a board passer?" he asked, cutting Owen off.

Owen let out a defeated sigh; "That's also one of the reasons" he admitted.

"There are other surgeons in this hospital that didn't pass their boards as well and I don't see them being cut. In fact, there is Fellow at Ped's who flunked his boards twice and he's still here"

"They signed a contract before the budget issue, I can't terminate their contract or they can sue the hospital for breach of contract" Owen explained.

Alex shook his head in disappointment before standing up; "Kepner should've just stayed in Neuro, I'm sure Derek could've done something for her. Have a nice day, _Chief_" he said before storming out of the room.

Owen closed his eyes and began rubbing his face.

* * *

"_**I know I've got to leave it all behind, somehow I'll try to get you off my mind. So tell me what to do, help me get over…"**_

* * *

"Jack and Coke please" April said as she perched herself on a bar stool.

Joe smiled at April; "Tough day?" he asked.

April placed her bag on top of the stool beside her; "You have no idea" she said with a wry smile.

Joe placed her drink right in front of the sullen surgeon and smiled; "Here you go" he said.

"Thanks, keep my tab open, I'm celebrating today" April said.

"Okay Doc" Joe replied.

April took a sip of her drink and winced; "I'm no longer a doctor, call me April" she said.

Joe threw the red head a confused look before shrugging his shoulders; "Okay April" he said.

"Thanks Joe" April said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Heeeeyyyyyy! Alex! Yohoooooo! Come here!" April said boisterously.

Alex furrowed his brows and began looking around the bar, clearly searching for the voice who called his name.

"Err-Dr. Karev?"

Alex turned sideways and saw one of his interns; "Yeah?" he asked.

Jo Wilson pointed towards the bar; "Dr. Kepner is at the bar and she's calling you" she said.

Alex turned his gaze towards the bar and narrowed his eyes; "Thank you" he said before sauntering towards his friend.

"I wassss calling you but you're ignoring me" April pouted drunkenly.

Alex turned towards the bartender and raised his brow; "How many did she have?" he asked.

Joe turned towards Alex and winced; "She had 4 glasses of Jack and Coke and she's already plastered. I already cut her off and I'm calling a cab to take her home" he said.

"I'm not plaaassttteeerreed!" April said between giggling.

Alex sighed; "Don't bother, I'll take her home" he said. He pulled out his wallet and placed $20 on top of the bar; he then turned towards April and grabbed her bag from her side. "Come on Apes, let's go home" he said.

April pursed her lips; "But issssshhh still earrrllly!"

"Yeah—it's still early but you're already pissed drunk" Alex said.

"I'mmmm not pissseeeddd drunk! Come on Alex! Drink with meeee, I'm celebrating!"

Alex stared at April with amusement; "Celebrating what?" he asked.

April smiled widely; "I'm geettttinnng a new job at Tastee Freez! I will be serving sundaes and burgers!"

"You're not serving sundaes at Tastee Freez, you're still a surgeon Apes and I'm sure some other hospital wants you, screw Hunt" Alex said earnestly.

April giggled; "Yeaahhh-screw him!"

Alex smiled; "That's the spirit, now let's get out of here before you embarrass yourself further."

April nodded; "Yeah-I'm already embarrassed enough for one day" she said. She then furrowed her eyes and began looking around; "Where's my bag? I need to pay for my drinks" she said.

Alex lifted the bag in his hands; "It's already taken care for, just don't forget to pay me later" he said.

April laughed as she hopped off her perch; "Stopppp being stingy Aleeexxx!" she said as she wobbles to her feet. She then grasped the bar and closed her eyes; "I thinkkk I drank too much this place won't stop moving" she said.

"You think?" Alex said. He then wrapped his arm around April's shoulder to steady her; "I'm only doing this one time Kepner don't make this a habit. Wrap your arm around my waist, I'll help you" he said.

April obediently followed her friend's instruction; "I'm sooorrrryyyy-I didn't mean to cause inconvenience—I jussst neeed an outlet with all the stress, you know?" she slurred.

Alex sighed; "I know. Now, come on" he said as he steers his drunken friend out of the bar.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson entered the bar and scanned his surroundings; when he didn't see any familiar face, he went directly towards a vacant bar stool and sat himself down.

Joe walked towards his new customer and smiled; "What can I get you?" he asked.

"Beer" Jackson replied.

Joe plucked a beer from the freezer and popped the cap open; he then shifted towards Jackson and placed it right in front of him. "Here you go" he said.

"Thanks" Jackson replied. He then took a swig of his drink and began looking around again.

"You looking for someone?" Joe asked.

Jackson threw the bartender a side glance before nodding; "Yeah—I'm supposed to meet Karev for drinks but it looks like he bailed on me" he said.

"He didn't, he was here a couple of minutes ago" Joe said.

"Let me guess, he left with a chic?" Jackson said before taking another swig of his beer.

"He did leave with a chic but not for _that, _I took April home, she's had too much to drink"

Jackson frowned as he swallowed his drink; "April?"

Joe nodded; "Yeah, the surgeon with an auburn hair?" he described.

Jackson's frown deepened; he plucked his phone from his pocket and dialled Alex's number. He then shifted the phone to his ear and waited for the other surgeon to answer his call.

"Avery"

"You with April?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah—we're on our way to the apartment. I'll just get her settled then I'll join you there"

"What's wrong with her? Joe told me you had to take her home?"

"She's pissed drunk and ridiculously funny. I had to take her home because if I didn't, I doubt she'll still be wearing her chastity belt tomorrow, she's _that _drunk"

"I'm not wearrrrinng a chasteettty belt, you're ridiculous Alex! I'm no longer Virgin Mary!" April drawled drunkenly.

"See what I mean?" Alex said, clearly amused.

Jackson winced; he then stood up from the stool and hastily pulled his wallet from his jacket pocket. "I'll come home, see you in a bit" he said.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. She's giving me a headache with her incessant chattering about her virginity"

"Bye" Jackson said before disconnecting the call. He then stuffed his phone inside his pocket and pulled out a $10 bill; "Thanks, keep the change" he said.

Joe nodded; "Thank you"

Jackson took another swig of his beer before he spun on his heels.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Come on Apes, I'll help you to your room, you can't sleep there" Alex coerced.

April ignored Alex and continued leaning on the bathtub; "I'mma be aryt-you go do your stuff" she said.

Alex braised his hands on his hips; "You don't look alright and you can't sleep there, what if we need to use the bathroom?" he challenged.

April closed her tired eyes and waived her hand dismissively; "I'll move to my room once the room stops turning" she replied.

Alex crouched down and squatted right in front of his plastered friend; "The room won't stop turning so I suggest we move you to your room so you can lay down on your bed" he said,

April shook her head; "Can't move. I might-" she cut herself off when she felt vomit rising inside her mouth. She hastily leaned forward and began puking on the toilet bowl.

Alex scrunched his face and hastily stood up; "I'll be back" he said. He then turned on his heels and hurriedly exited the room.

"Where is she?" Jackson asked as he rounded the corner.

Alex wrinkled his nose and pointed towards the bathroom; "You don't want to go in there man, she puking her guts off."

Jackson ignored Alex's warning and hastily stepped inside the room; "April?" he called out.

April flushed the toilet and closed the lid; she wiped her mouth with a towel and settled back to her original perch. "What you doing here?" she asked.

Jackson crouched down and squatted right in front of his best friend; "What happened to you? Why did you drink yourself to stupor?" he asked with concern.

April waived her hand dismissively; "Am not drunk just tipsy" she said.

"Yeah right, you look like shit" Jackson said.

April felt like her whole body was dozed with cold water; making her instantly sober. She narrowed her eyes at him before kicking him with her right foot, causing Jackson to fall on his ass.

"What the hell was that for?"

"You're a jerk" April said while making an attempt to stand up. When she couldn't manage, she placed her hands on the tub and tried hefting herself up; "ALEX!" she yelled.

Alex peered from the door; "Yeah?"

"Help me to my room" April said tearfully.

Jackson hefted himself up and shifted closer to April; "I'll help you up" he said while placing his hands on her arms.

April flinched from his touch; "Don't touch me!" she shrieked. She then turned her face towards Alex and threw him a pleading look.

Alex threw Jackson a confused look before moving towards April; he leaned forward and helped her to her feet.

April placed her hands clumsily on Alex's shoulders; "Come on" she said.

Alex tried helping the red head walk but after a couple of futile attempts, he let out a frustrated sigh before scooping her into his arms.

April yelped in protest.

"This is much faster than helping you walk" Alex said. He then began carrying her outside the room; "You owe me big time for this Kepner" he said.

"I know" April replied while subtly wiping her cheeks.

Jackson watches the unlikely pair disappear from his sight; "What the hell just happened?" he asked himself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Alex asked.

April pulled the comforter under her chin and smile tiredly at Alex; "Yeah" she replied.

Alex nodded; "Just holler if you need anything, okay?"

April nodded.

Alex switched the light off and pulled the door open.

"Alex?"

Alex paused and turned his head towards April; "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Alex smiled; "You're welcome. Sleep it off, you'll need all the sleep you can get" he said.

April let out weary chuckle; "I know" she replied.

"Good night" Alex said before stepping out of the room, closing the door behind him quietly.

"Is she asleep?" Jackson asked while leaning on the opposite wall from April's door.

"Yeah" Alex replied. He then crossed his arms on top of his chest; "You shouldn't have told her that she looks like shit, in case you have forgotten, its Kepner you're talking to and she's a sensitive drunk. She would've bawled her eyes out the whole night if I didn't assure her that she looks fine" he said.

Jackson's face fell; "I didn't mean it that way" he said.

"Well she took it _that _way. She's going through some rough patch and she's clearly not happy with you right now so I suggest you lay off a bit, just saying" Alex said before walking away.

"What do you mean rough patch?"

Alex paused and turned around; "You don't know?" he asked.

Jackson frowned; "Don't know what?"

"Hunt didn't renew Kepner's contract, she no longer works for Seattle Grace"

Jackson's eyes widen in shock as his jaw hangs open.

"Just what I suspected, she didn't tell you as well" Alex said exasperatedly.

"Why-why didn't she tell me?"

"You've been preoccupied with Lexie lately, maybe she thought you didn't have time to listen or something."

Jackson snapped his mouth close as a guilty look marred his face.

Alex noticed Jackson's reaction; "Talk to her when she cools down, it's April, she doesn't hold grudges" he said.

"Yeah—"

Alex nodded before turning around and walking away.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April forced herself to open her eyes when her phone won't stop ringing; she blindly reached for the offending device and winced when shooting pain erupted inside her skull. She snatched it from her side table and tapped on the screen; "Hello" she croaked.

"Duckie! Why do you sound like you just woke up? You should be at work right now!"

April groaned and closed her eyes tightly; "It's too early for this Libby, what do you need?" she asked with exasperation.

"Early? It's already 11 A.M!"

"Whatever, what do you want?" April asked.

"It's Sophie's birthday tomorrow, you're still flying out right?"

April's eyes snapped open; she then mentally cursed as she sat up from her bed.

"Duckie?"

April began rubbing her temples; "Yeah—I'll be there" she said.

"Perfect!"

April swallowed hard; "I need to go, I'll talk to you later" she said.

"Okay, talk to you later. Love you Duckie!"

April huffed; "Stop calling me Duckie! Love you too, bye!" she said before disconnecting the call. She then took a deep breath and collapsed back on her bed; "I guess I'll be leaving earlier than expected, time to pack" she murmured to herself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Avery, are you listening to me?" Mark asked.

Jackson turned his gaze back to his mentor and cleared his throat; "Did you say something?" he asked.

Mark studied his prot's face and furrowed his brows; "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Jackson let out small smile before shaking his head; "Nope, I'm good" he replied. He then closed his patient's chart and stood up from his perch; "I'll be back, I just need to check on this patient" he said before bolting towards the door.

"We're not done talking about Tulane Avery! Come back here after your rounds!" Mark said.

"Yeah" Jackson said before closing the door behind him.

Mark leaned back on his pillows and yawned tiredly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"That's his reasons?" Meredith asked incredulously.

Alex nodded; "Yep, I also pointed out that there are some Fellow's here who didn't even pass their boards but he told me that those fellow's already signed their contract before the budget problems" he said.

"The explanation about the fellow's contracts makes sense, he can't terminate them because the hospital can be sued for contract breach" Derek said.

Meredith turned towards her husband; "But something can be done, right? We're not asking for a lot, we're just asking him to keep April and she's just one surgeon."

Derek nodded; "There are some incidental and overhead funds that can be used" he said.

Alex cringed.

Meredith noticed Alex's reaction; "What?" she asked.

Alex scratched the back of his neck; "I kinda played that card with him to match the offer from Hopkins. Webber told me to mention those funds" he said guiltily.

Meredith frowned; "Alex!"

"The incidental and overhead funds are _a lot_ of money, I'm quite sure it can cover one more surgeon" Derek said.

"Are you sure? Because if it's that's the solution to Kepner's problem then I can just renegotiate with Hunt and ask him to drop the housing assistance clause in my contract." Alex said hopefully.

Meredith's face softened; "You'll do that?" she asked.

Alex nodded earnestly.

Derek thought for a couple of seconds before nodding; "Yeah, I think so."

"Tell you what, if you let the housing clause go and April keeps her job then you can have my house. We'll draft a contract with a rent to own agreement or something" Meredith said with a smile.

Alex's eyes widen in shock; "Get out of here! Are you for real?"

Derek smiled at Alex's comical expression; "Grab the offer before she changes her mind, shake on it."

Alex held his hand out instantly and smiled; "Shake on it Mer" he said.

Meredith rolled her eyes before shaking her friend's hand.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April snipped the packaging tape with her scissor and sealed the last box tightly; "Last batch" she said. She then lifted it from the floor and stacked it on top of the other two; she then braised her hands on her hips and began looking around the barren room. "Everything's packed" she said to herself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson flipped through his notes as he gives his mentor an update; "Uh, I have a facial lac and oh, I have a consult this morning-breast augmentation, B to D" he said before moving towards the side of the bed and handing it for Mark to see.

Mark accepted it and began perusing it; "Did you tell her, her breasts were beautiful the way they are?" he asked.

"No, I still think that's weird." Jackson replied.

"Well, I know you do, but you're wrong."

Jackson pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down.

"You tell her she's beautiful just the way she is and if she believes you, you've saved someone an unnecessary surgical procedure" Mark said as he flips through the papers.

Jackson leaned forward and peered at his notes; "And that is definitely not how I talk to a patient."

"No, but it's how you talk to a woman, Avery" Mark pointed out. He then snapped the chart close and faced his favorite student; "We're in the business of making people feel better about themselves" he said seriously.

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Again, sometimes when you talk, I feel like a male prostitute."

Mark ignored Jackson's objection; "She's a person on the precipice of change, Avery. She's scared and she's worried."

Jackson smiled before pulling the chart away from Mark's hand; he then shifted closer to the bed and listened intently.

"God, the things we worry about, so pointless. And we get to help take that worry away. It's why we're doctors, it's actually why we're people, but somehow we forget that all that matters is people. And whether we walk away leaving them better or worse for having met us, we control that Avery" Mark said. He then cleared his throat and met Jackson's gaze; "I want you to promise something."

Jackson just nodded, signalling for Mark to continue.

"If you love someone, you tell them. Even if you're scared that it's not the right thing, even if you're scared that it'll cause problems, even if you're scared that it will burn your life to the ground you say it and you say it loud and then you go from there."

Jackson stilled as he digests his friend's words.

Mark smiled; "Hey where's my kid? I want to see Sophia. Avery, why don't you run up to Day Care and bring her down here" he snapped, changing the topic.

Jackson shuddered before standing up from his perch; "I can't bring a baby in the ICU" he said as he plucks the chart from the foot of the bed.

"No but you can sneak one in. Come on, Avery, grow a pair" Mark said cheekily.

Jackson is still weighing his options when Mark started sitting up from his bed; "You know what? Forget it, I'll do it" he said.

Jackson hastily leaned forward and stopped Mark from moving; "Whoa-whoa-whoa-I'll get her" he said before turning on his heel and running towards the door.

Mark grinned triumphantly; "My man!" he cheered.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was anxiously looking for Jackson when she saw him running towards the elevator; she made a bee line towards him and cleared her throat to get his attention; "Uhm-can we talk? I'm leaving" she said with a small smile.

Jackson turned around and saw April standing behind him; he punched on the elevator button repeatedly before facing her again; "No. Actually, I've gotta grab Sophia for Sloan, he need to see her but I can call you later" he said dismissively.

"Uh, no, Jackson. I'm-I'm leaving-for home-Moline. My flight's in a few hours" April explained.

Jackson paused and furrowed his brows; "What do you-"

April took a deep breath before biting the bullet; "I-I don't have a job here anymore. My contract actually ended the other day but I stuck around and waited for everyone to get better and everyone's better, so..."

Jackson stepped inside the elevator and held the door open with his hand.

April bit her bottom lip to keep it from wobbling.

"Alright, I've gotta get Sophia right now, okay? But can you just wait? Just wait for me at Joe's, we can have a drink, we can talk, just okay-just wait for me at Joe's" Jackson said before punching on the elevator button repeatedly.

April let out a smile before nodding; when the door closes her smile faltered as she let out a dejected sigh.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Alex"

Alex turned around and saw April standing behind him; "Hey Apes" he said.

April smiled wearily; "I just dropped by to tell you I'm leaving" she said.

"Where are you going?" Alex asked.

April tightened her hold on her bag; "My flights in a few hours-I'm going home" she explained.

"You're going back to Ohio? When will you be back?" Alex asked.

"I-I don't know yet" April replied.

Alex frowned; "What you mean you don't know yet?" he asked.

"I decided to go home for a while-you know spend time with them for a bit since I don't have work yet"

"You're not planning on really working for Tastee Freez, right?"

April chuckled; "No"

Alex smiled; "Good. Come back as soon as you're done resting, okay?"

April bit her bottom lip before nodding.

Alex took a step forward and engulfed his friend into a hug; "Take care Apes and I'll see you soon" he said.

April felt her eyes prickling with tears as she hugs Alex back; "Thank you for taking care of me last night and for everything."

"You're welcome. You better haul your ass back here, you still owe me 20 bucks" Alex said.

April laughed as she pulls away; "I can pay you now, you know."

Alex shook his head; "I won't take your money now so you'll feel obligated to come back" he said.

April rolled her eyes; "Fine."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Knock, knock" April said before peering inside Derek's room.

Meredith turned towards the door and smile upon seeing April; "Hey you. Come right in" she said.

April pushed the door open and stepped inside; "The nurse told me you're here so I came here directly" she explained. She then shifted her eyes towards Derek; "How are you feeling Dr. Shepherd?" she asked.

Derek smiled; "I feel better than yesterday" he replied.

"That's good to hear" April replied.

Meredith gestured towards her huge bag; "What's with the bag?" she asked.

April tightened her hold on the strap of her bag as she smiles sheepishly; "I just dropped by to say goodbye..." she said.

Derek threw Meredith a look before staring at April; "Where are you going?" he asked.

"I decided to go home for a while-you know spend time with them for a bit since I don't have work yet"

"You're going home to Ohio?" Meredith asked with a frown.

April nodded; "Yep."

"When will you be back then?" Meredith asked.

April cleared her throat; "I still don't know when, I kinda miss my family-but I'll be back, don't worry" she said.

Meredith gestured for April to come closer.

April swallowed hard before walking towards her friend.

Meredith stood from her perch and pulled April into a hug; "We're fixing it so keep your lines open, okay? And come back soon, you belong here" she said.

Tears that she's been holding for more than an hour now fell down on April's cheeks; she hastily wiped them before returning Meredith's hug. "I will and thank you" she replied.

Meredith patted April's back before pulling away; "Don't cry on me Kepner, you know I don't do well with tears" she joked.

April chuckled; she then wiped her cheeks clean before smiling at her friend. "Can you tell Cristina? I dropped by her room before I came here but she's sleeping" she said.

Meredith nodded; "I will" she replied.

"Thank you" April said. She then shifted her gaze towards Derek and smiled; "Get well soon Dr. Shepherd."

"Thank you" Derek replied with a smile.

April gestured towards the door; "I gotta go-my flight leaves in a couple of hours, I still have to say goodbye to a couple of people" she said.

"Go and have a safe flight" Meredith said with a smile.

April smiled back before turning on her heels.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson placed Sophia into Mark's arms; "Here you go" he said.

"Thank you Avery" Mark said with a huge smile. He then shifted his gaze towards his daughter and began cooing.

Jackson smiled at his mentors antics; his smiled faded almost instantly when he remembered that his best friend is leaving in a few hours. He was about to open his mouth to tell Mark that he's leaving when his pager went off loudly; he hastily plucked it from his belt and read the message. "Damn it!" he swore loudly.

Mark covered his daughter's ears and threw Jackson a chastising smile; "There's a baby here Avery, in case you have forgotten" he said.

"Sorry" Jackson said. He then lifted his pager and wiggled it; "I'm being paged at the pit, I need to go. I'll just send someone here to get Sophia after a couple of minutes, okay?" he said.

"Go."

Jackson stormed out of Mark's room.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was waiting for Jackson at Joe's for 2 hours now but there's still no sign of her best friend; she tried calling him a couple of times already but she keeps getting voice mail. She let out defeated sigh before emptying her glass; she placed a few bills on top of the counter before smiling at the bartender. "Here you go Joe, keep the change" she said with a sad smile.

"Thank you April" Joe replied.

April hopped off the chair and began walking towards the exit.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson felt his heart beating loudly as he rushed towards Joe; he yanked the door open and began searching for April frantically. When he didn't see her familiar face he made a bee line towards the bar and leaned forward; "Have you seen April?" he asked.

"She left an hour ago, she waited for you for two hours though" Joe replied.

Jackson shoulders fell as indescribable agony settled inside his chest; he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist tightly. "She really left?"

"Yeah" Joe replied.

Jackson braised his elbows on top of the counter and buried his face into his palms.

Joe noticed Jackson's reaction so he hastily plucked a glass and filled it with the surgeon's favourite drink; he pushed it towards Jackson and let out a comforting smile. "It's on the house" he said.

Jackson lifted his face from his palms and sat down on one of the bar stools; "Thanks" he said. He then plucked the glass from the counter and drained its content in one go; he placed the glass back on the counter and gritted his teeth. "Keep my tab open, I need a lot of this tonight" he said.

Joe threw Jackson a sympathetic look; "Sure."

Jackson moved the glass towards the bartender; "Give me another one" he said.

* * *

_**A/N: My first attempt in writing a multi-chaptered Japril fic, how am I doing so far? I know it's kinda long for chapter 1 but I can't seem to stop myself from writing, it's like a disease! LOL Tell me what you think, I'll post the second chappy as soon as I'm done with it and as soon as I read your reviews, so feel free to leave me a note. Cheers! **_


	2. Wish you were here

**Chapter Two: Wish you were here**

* * *

"_**I can be tough, I can be strong but with you it's not like that at all. There's a girl that gives a shit behind this wall, you just walked through it..."**_

* * *

**Ohio: April's POV**

April dejectedly sat down on her designated seat and buckled her seat belt; she plucked her phone from her bag as she leans back. She tapped on the screen multiple times before letting out a frustrated sigh; "Stop it! He didn't even say goodbye to you, that's already proof enough that it meant nothing to him" she chastised herself. She then turned off her phone and stuffed it inside her bag; she turned towards her side and gazed out of the window.

* * *

_**Flashback:**_

_Jackson is reading some charts as he walks inside his patient's room and saw April; he walked towards her and stared at his friend; "Okay?"_

_April turned towards her best friend;"Uh, no change-just, I don't want to mess this up like I messed up everything else" she said dejectedly._

_Jackson furrowed his brows; "What? You were great in the O.R."_

_April pursed her lips;"I wasn't the Gunther. I was a superduper assistant" she paused and averted her gaze. "They're gonna fire me as Chief Resident" she said with worry._

_Jackson let out a small smile; "No, it's your first day so just make it do it again" he said while squeezing April's shoulder for comfort._

_April turned towards Jackson again and let out a small smile._

oOo

_"Chief frigging resident, unbelievable!" Jackson said boisterously as he entered the room._

_April cringed; "I'm sorry" she said guiltily._

_Jackson pulled a chair and sat beside April; "What? Don't be. You deserved it. I'm happy, I have what I want" he said while looking at Lexie._

_"It's such a crappy year, I can't believe we're both happy. I can't believe they like me enough to make me Chief Resident, they hated me for so long, I can't believe I actually have friends here" April said with amazement._

_Jackson shifted his eyes to the computer monitor and began typing on the keyboard; "Well, they're gonna hate you again but it's now your job boss them around" he said._

_April paused and stared at Jackson incredulously._

_"You know how much they love that"_

_April scrunched her face; "Oh God, it's that true?" she asked._

_Jackson bit his bottom lip to keep himself from smiling; he then turned towards the red head and nodded his head solemnly._

_April's eyes widen in mortification as panic sets in; she then turned her eyes towards the window and stared at it blankly. "That's true."_

_Jackson smirked at April's reaction and followed her gaze; he let out huge smile upon seeing his girlfriend watching them with a smile._

_**End of Flashback**_

* * *

April closed her eyes and leans her forehead on the window pane as she ponders about her _predicament_; maybe they're better of as best friends and the proverbial line between them should never have been crossed. They were good together and the memories that she just thought of proved it; Jackson was her rock, the only constant thing all throughout her whole residency and now even that was taken away-along with her job. It was her fault though; she initiated the whole thing, from the very first kiss up to the _very_ uncharacteristic dirty talk she initiated inside the men's room, of all places. April opened her eyes and almost instantly, tears trickled down her cheeks, taking a walk back on memory lane when things are still fresh was not a good idea.

* * *

oOo

* * *

**Seattle: Jackson's POV**

Jackson emptied his fifth glass of whiskey and flagged Joe for another; he took his phone from his pocket and placed it on top of the counter. He glared at the offending device for a couple of minutes before scowling; "Didn't even leave me a message or something" he mumbled to himself angrily.

Joe pushed a new glass of whiskey towards the surgeon; "This is your last glass, I'm cutting you off" he said.

Jackson grasped the glass with both hands and glared at the swirling brown liquid inside it; "Whatever"

Joe rolled his eyes as he shifted away from the brooding surgeon.

Jackson stared at his phone again while taking a swig of his drink.

* * *

_**Flashback:**_

_Jackson entered the men's room with a frown; he felt his annoyance grow substantially when he was bombarded by a bunch of fleeing surgeons zipping their flies._

_"What? You're supposed to be doctors, I see your things, you see mine. It's all just flesh and cartilage, get over it!" April shrieked while drying her jacket under the blower._

_Jackson furrowed his brows as he stares at April confusedly; "April-what?"_

_April smiled at Jackson shakily; "Hey Jackson how's it going?"_

_Jackson began pacing as he tugged on his tie with frustration; "Not so good! You?"_

_April threw her jacket on top of the sink; "I am dying in there! I am actually failing!" she shrilled._

_Jackson paused and stared at the distraught red head; "You too? Coz mine is a total fiasco!"_

_April began pacing frantically; "They think I'm insane!"_

_Jackson crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Oh they're toying with me" he said sardonically._

_April placed her hands on top of her head; "I am so distracting into a puddle of sweat-I don't know what's wrong with me!"_

_Jackson uncrossed his arms as he continued pacing; "I know exactly what's wrong with me and I still can't reel it in!"_

_"I broke my promise to Jesus and now I can't even talk to him and I need him, he's the only one who can calm me down-"_

_Jackson paused; "Why the hell did you do it? Why did you let me?" he yelled._

_April faced Jackson; "I don't know!"_

_Jackson scowled; "You said it was okay"_

_"I know!"_

_"I knew you would regret it!" Jackson said accusingly while pointing his finger at her._

_"Stop yelling! Why are you yelling at me?" April shrieked as she stomped her foot._

_Jackson walked towards the cubicles angrily; "Because I'm all messed up too! I mean-what am I? I'm the guy that made you break your promise to Jesus? I'm not that guy alright? That guy is gross-and so very unbecoming especially for an Avery!"_

_April leaned back on the sink as her eyes widen with his statement; "What?" she asked incredulously. She pushed away from the sink and faced Jackson; "Are you honestly comparing breaking my promise to Jesus with putting a tiny dent into your family crest?"_

_Jackson licked his lips as realization of what he said hit him; he looked away in shame. "You're right-You're right and I'm sorry" he said._

_April leaned back on the sink and braised her hands on top of it._

_Jackson shifted and stood right in front of April; "My mom is the examiner in the room right next to mine, its stalling me. I know-its-its-I'm worried about my mom and what she's gonna think if I fail, it's pathetic, right?" he said._

_April shook her head; "No-god-no. Jackson, It's not pathetic. That's the most important relationship in your life" she said._

_Jackson let out a deep breath as he waited for her to continue._

_April closed her eyes and let out a defeated sigh; she swallowed hard before licking her lips. "The problem isn't that I broke my promise-that's not the problem. The problem is-" she paused and met Jackson's eyes "The problem is-"_

_Jackson licked his lips; "And it felt good" he finished for her._

_"It felt good" April repeated breathlessly._

_Jackson shifted on his feet; "I shouldn't have taken advantage-"_

_April chuckled; "Taking advantage? What?"_

_"We should go" Jackson groaned before making his way towards the door._

_April shook her head; "Taking advantage? I kissed you, remember?"_

_Jackson paused as he grasps the door knob; "Yeah but I kissed you back"_

_"Yeah but then I unbuttoned your shirt"_

_Jackson pulled his hand away and turned towards April; "Yeah then I pulled up that skirt" he said as he rakes her body with his eyes._

_April turned her head sideways and licked her bottom lip suggestively."Yeah but then I kissed your neck..."_

_Jackson smiled upon seeing the look on April's face; he turned towards the door again and locked it._

_April bit her bottom lip sultrily as she watches Jackson walk towards her._

_"Yeah and then I took off your shirt" Jackson said as he stood right in front of April._

_"And I unbuckled your belt" April said breathlessly while tugging her skirt up._

_Jackson stepped closer and placed his hands on her waist; "And then my hand on your back" he said huskily._

_"And I wrapped my arms around your neck"_

_Jackson hefted April up and sat her on top of the sink; he leaned his forehead to hers as he continued staring into her eyes. "And then I-"_

_April wrapped her legs around his hips as she trailed her hands towards his chest; "And then you-"_

_Jackson fixed his gaze on April's lips before leaning forward and claiming her lips hungrily_

_April wrapped her arms around Jackson's neck again and began returning the kisses frantically._

_Jackson plucked April from the sink and began carrying her towards the cubicle._

_April wrapped her legs around his waist tightly as she continued kissing him._

_Jackson stepped inside the cubicle and April slammed it closed behind them._

oOo

_Jackson saw April sitting on a chair along the hallway so he walked towards her; he plopped down beside the quiet red head and smiled. "Good luck"_

_April didn't respond and just continued staring at the carpet._

_"April" Jackson studied April's face; "Come on, you're not even gonna look at me?" he cajoled._

_April turned her head sideways; "No it's not you Jackson-it's Jesus,"_

_Jackson's smiled faltered._

_"I was a virgin because I love Jesus and now Jesus hates me"_

_Jackson shifted in his chair uncomfortably as he stares at her._

_April was about to open her mouth to speak but was cut off when the examiner called her name. She turned towards the examiner and smiled; "Hi" she said perkily before standing up without a word to Jackson._

_Jackson watches as April walks away from him._

_**End of Flashback**_

* * *

Jackson gripped the glass tighter in his hands as he felt his eyes stinging; he sniffed loudly before taking a huge gulp of his drink. He forced the bitter liquid down his throat and winced; "You fucked things up because you can't keep it in your pants. Now you just manage to lose the only person you truly cared for and cared for you, why do you always screw things up?" he mumbled to himself bitterly.

* * *

_After a couple of hours..._

Alex stepped inside Joe's and spotted Jackson's slumped form on the bar counter right away; he furrowed his brows as he make a bee line towards his friend.

Joe noticed the other surgeon approaching so he shifted closer to the counter; "I already cut him off, I don't know who else to call" he said apologetically.

Alex stood behind Jackson and braised his hands on his hips; "First Kepner, now this! I can't believe my luck" he said sarcastically. He then shifted closer to Jackson and tapped him on the shoulder; "Avery"

Jackson lifted his head from his arms and turned to face whoever is disturbing him; he furrowed his brows and let out a drunken smile upon recognizing his friend. "Hey Karev! What's up man?" he slurred.

Alex stared at Jackson's face for a couple of seconds before bursting out with laughter; "You're shit face drunk man" he said with amusement.

Jackson wrinkled his nose; "I'm not that drunk"

Alex shifted on his feet and crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Yeah right"

Jackson bobbed his head up and down; "Yeah"

Alex shook his head; "The way you're bobbing your head up and down like an imbecile is a sure sign that you drank more than you can handle Pretty Boy. Why don't you hop off that stool so I can take you home"

Jackson frowned; "I don't want to go home-I can't go home"

"And why is that?"

"I'm on call" Jackson replied.

Alex raised his brow; "With the amount of alcohol in your system? I don't think so. If you don't want to go home then I'll just drop you off the hospital and hook you up with something" he said.

Jackson's face relaxed; "Good idea" he replied. He then began fumbling with his pockets and fished out his wallet; he furrowed his brows as he sloppily began counting some bills. "How much do I owe you Joe?" he asked while facing the bartender.

"$30" Joe replied.

Jackson began fumbling with his wallet again and cursed loudly when he can't seem to count the right amount.

Alex rolled his eyes and snatched the wallet from Jackson's hand.

"Hey!"

Alex ignored Jackson's protest and pulled the right amount of money from the other surgeon's wallet; he then moved closer to the bar and placed it on the counter. "Done. Now, haul your ass off that stool so we can go our merry way" he said before returning the wallet back to Jackson's hands.

Jackson swallowed and stuffed his wallet inside his pocket; he slowly stood up from his perch and tried his best to stand straight.

"I'm only doing this shit once man, so don't make it a habit" Alex warned. He then stepped beside Jackson and braised the other surgeon's arm around his own shoulders; "Come on Avery walk me, I won't go carrying your ass to the hospital so suck it up and try to walk or whatever!" he barked.

Jackson leaned towards Alex and let out goofy smile; "Thank you for doing this man, I owe you one"

"You owe me twice, I helped your best friend too" Alex mumbled to himself.

"What's that?" Jackson slurred.

"Nothing. Just walk."

* * *

oOo

* * *

**Ohio: April's POV**

"DUCKKIIIIEEEEE!"

April gritted her teeth as she hauled her luggage behind her; she narrowed her eyes and stopped right in front of her sister. "Stop calling me Duckie! I'm not an ugly duckling anymore!" she snapped.

Libby smiled widely before pulling her peeved sister into a tight hug; "You know I don't mean it that way April" she said.

April sighed and hugged her sister back.

Libby pulled away and studied April's face; "Were you crying?"

"Of course not" April replied.

Libby narrowed her eyes as she pinches April's chin, inspecting her face closely; "Your eyes are red and you have tear stains on your cheeks, what happened?" she asked with concern.

April pulled her face away and averted her eyes; "It's nothing, I'm just tired and it was just hard leaving Seattle."

Libby knew that April was lying because her sister can never maintain eye contact whenever she's hiding something, she wanted to pry it out of her but seeing her tearstained cheeks, she decided to let it pass—for now. She pasted a smile on her face and grabbed the trolley out of April's hands; "Come on Apple, let's get you home, I know you're tired"

April turned towards her sister and let out a small smile; "I haven't heard you call me that in ages."

Libby smiled back; "You don't come home often enough, that's why" she teased.

April chuckled; "Touché"

Libby lopped her arm with April's; "Come now, I'm sure Mom and Dad awaits us"

April nodded; "Lets"

* * *

April was jostled awake when the door beside her was yanked open; she opened her eyes groggily and turned her face sideways.

"AUNTIE APPLE YOU'RE HERE!"

"Sophia Claire Anderson! What did I tell you about yelling?" Libby said sternly.

Sophia threw her mother a rueful smile before bowing her head in shame.

April unbuckled her seat belt; "It's okay" she said. She then turned towards her niece and hauled the little girl into her lap; "Did you think that Aunt Apple will miss your special day?"

Sophia smiled widely before throwing her tiny arms around April's neck; "I know you wouldn't!" she squealed excitedly.

April chuckled as she engulfed Sophia into a tight hug; after a couple of seconds she pulled away and planted a soft kiss on her head. "I wouldn't"

Libby smiled at the scene; "Run along Sophie, tell Grandma and Grandpa that we're already here" she said.

Sophia happily hopped off of her Aunt's lap and sprinted towards the house in full speed.

"Slow down Sophie!" April called out. She then turned towards her sister and smiled; "She's so big" she said.

Libby unbuckled her seat belt; "Yes and _very_ handful."

"I can see that" April said. She then climb out of the car and stretched her arms upward; she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "God, I miss fresh air"

Libby chuckled as she closed the door behind her; "I can see that" she said.

"APPLE YOU'RE FINALLY HOME!"

April's eyes snapped open upon hearing a familiar voice; she hastily spun around and let out a huge smile upon seeing her father jogging towards her. "Daddy!"

Joe Kepner swept April from the ground as he engulfed her into a tight hug; "I missed you!" he said.

April giggled as she hugs her old man back; "I missed you too!" she replied.

Joe squeezed her daughter one more time before depositing her back on the ground; "It's been too long pumpkin, how are you?"

April grinned; "I'm fine Daddy, where's Mom?"

Joe gestured towards their house with his thumb; "She's cooking up breakfast, you better head there pumpkin, you don't want to keep your mom waiting."

"I'll just get my bag and head in then" April said.

"Go on, I'll ask Eric to get this for you" Libby said.

April shook her head; "It's alright, I can do it" she insisted.

Joe placed his beefy hands on her daughter's shoulder and began pushing her towards the house; "We have this, go say Hi to your mother" he said.

April chuckled; "I'm going!" she said as she made her way towards her childhood home.

* * *

"_**And I remember all those crazy things you said, you left them running through my head. You're always there, you're everywhere but right now I wish you were here. All those crazy things we did, didn't think about it, just went with it, you're always there, you're everywhere but right now I wish you were here..."**_

* * *

**Seattle: Jackson's POV**

Jackson opened his eyes and cringes when sharp pains radiated inside his skull; he swallowed hard and closed his eyes again.

"You look like shit"

Jackson's eyes snapped open and turned his head sideways; "Yang? What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in bed or something?"

Cristina leaned on the door frame and crossed her arms on top of her chest; "I'm bored and I heard from Evil Spawn that you were shit faced last night, I had to see it for myself" she said with a smirk.

Jackson sat up from the patient's bed and rubbed his face with his palms; "You already saw me, now scoot."

"Nu-uh" Cristina said.

Jackson pulled his face away from his palms and noticed the I.V that's taped on the back of his hand.

"Do you want me to help you with that?" Cristina asked while gesturing towards the IV lines.

Jackson winced when another pain shot through his head; "I thought this thing will help with the hang over, it's not doing anything" he groaned.

Cristina entered the room, dragging her own IV lines behind her; she stopped right in front of Jackson and wrinkled her nose. "You smell horrible Pretty Boy, it doesn't match your looks"

Jackson lifted his eyes from his hand and glared at the other surgeon; "My apologies" he said sarcastically.

Cristina ignored Jackson's reaction and gestured towards his hand; "Do you want me to help you or not?"

Jackson proffered his hand grudgingly, making Cristina smirk.

* * *

oOo

* * *

**Ohio: April's POV**

"I'll just be out on the dock" April said to her father.

Joe turned his head sideways and smiled; "I know you missed it but just don't stay out too late, it gets ridiculously cold out there" he said.

April lifted her hand to show the jacket she holding; "That's why I've got this" she said with a smile.

Joe chuckled; "Go on."

April waived to her family before exiting the house; her smiled instantly faltered upon hearing the screen door shut behind her. She let out a defeated sigh as she made her way towards her favourite spot; once she reached the dock, she climbed up and moved closer to the edge. She let her jacket drop on the floor and sat down beside it; she hurriedly took off her flip flops and dangled her legs until it reached the tepid water. She swayed her legs back and forth as she braises her palm behind her; she tilted her head upwards and closed her eyes.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_April climb up the stairs to Cristina and Owen's new apartment; when she reached the landing, she pauses upon seeing one of the owners. "Oh-hi" she stuttered._

_Owen nodded; "Hey"_

_April tucked her loose hair behind her ear as she tries to hold back her tears; she began fumbling with her hands as she avoided Owen's eyes. "Uhm-I'm sorry-I-I-I know I should bring a gift, like a housewarming gift to things like this but I didn't really have time to bring anything-So, I'm just really sorry" she mumbled as tears fell down her cheeks._

_Owen's eyes widen in surprise; he then shifted closer to April and stared at her with concern. "It's really no problem" he said comfortingly._

_April lowered her head as sobs escaped her lips._

_"What happened? April?" Jackson asked as he walks towards his distraught best friend._

_April lifted her gaze and stared at Jackson with tears streaking down her cheeks._

_Jackson's eyes widen as he stared at April in panic; he tugged the red head closer him and began cooing. "Hey...hey...come on, come on." He then wrapped his arm around April's shoulder and began steering her towards the kitchen._

_April held the strap of her bag tightly as she explained what happened between her and Alex._

_Jackson gritted his teeth as he listens; he then turned his head sideways for a moment and instantly saw red. He narrowed his eyes menacingly and began stomping towards Alex._

_Alex saw April standing in the middle of the kitchen and threw her an exasperated look; "Oh listen-let me talk to her" he said._

_Jackson didn't say anything and just punched him square on the face._

_Alex stumbled back and landed on his ass; he hastily hefted himself from the floor and placed his hand on his bleeding mouth. "Alright" he said._

_Jackson's ire flared upon seeing Alex's nonchalant reaction so he lunged towards him and began hitting him repeatedly, destroying the brand new coffee table in the process._

_April eyes widen in mortification as she watches her best friend pummel Alex._

_Mark and Owen stepped in to break the fight; pulling Jackson away as Callie stood in the middle._

_**End of Flashback**_

* * *

April's eyes snapped open; she sat right up and stared ahead. "Don't do this to yourself, he only did that because you were crying and you are his best friend. That doesn't mean anything, just stop putting meaning into his actions" she chastised herself.

"When did you start talking to yourself?"

April turned her head and saw her older sister standing a couple of feet away from her; "I'm not talking to myself" she said before shifting her gaze back to the waters.

Libby walked towards April and stood behind her; she took off her flip flops and sat beside her, dangling her legs on the water as well.

"Where's Sophie?" April asked.

"She's with Mom" Libby replied. She then threw April a side glance before staring ahead; "What's wrong Apple? I know something's bothering you" she asked gently.

April forced out a smile before shaking her head; "I'm fine Libs, don't worry about me"

Libby turned towards her younger sister and stared at her; "I've taken care of you since you wore nappies and I know that you can't lie to save your life, so spill."

April's smile faltered; she let her gaze fall to her lap and began fumbling with her hands.

"April?" Libby said sternly.

April let out a dejected sigh; "I lost my job-I'm no longer a doctor" she admitted.

Libby's face softened; "Losing one job doesn't mean that you're no longer a doctor Apple, there are lots of hospitals around this country that'll be lucky to have you" she said.

April felt her eyes stinging with tears; "I-I failed my boards, I'm not a board certified surgeon-I'm a failure" she croaked.

Libby shifted closer to April and wrapped her arm around the other woman's shoulder; "You are not a failure, flunking one test doesn't outweigh the hundred tests you passed with flying colours in med school, you can take that test again, right?"

April nodded.

Libby began rubbing April's arm comfortingly; "Then take it again next year and the test is only for surgery, not all doctors have to be surgeons and I trust that you know that."

April sniffed as she wiped her cheeks.

"There's still something you're not telling me, I can feel it radiating from you. So, tell your big sister what's wrong so we can fix it."

April wiped her cheeks again; "It's not something that can be fixed, trust me."

"Well, it's not up for you to decide, so, come on, out with it" Libby cajoled.

April felt her chin wobble as myriad of emotions surges inside her chest; "I-I had sex with Jackson and I'm stupid enough to believe that it's more than just a stupid one night stand, he doesn't care for me" she said brokenly.

Libby's eyes widen as she felt her jaw drop.

April turned her face sideways when she felt her sister stiffen beside her; she stared at Libby's reaction for a moment before dissolving into tears.

Libby closed her mouth and shook her head; she pulled April to her chest wordlessly and engulfed her into a hug.

April's cries intensified.

Libby began rubbing April's back soothingly; "Oh honey-do you love him?"

"I-I don't know" April croaked.

"Do you regret having sex with him?"

April swallowed a sob before shaking her head.

Libby tries her best to remember the Jackson fellow that April mentioned, after a couple of seconds realization dawned on her. "Jackson-he's your best friend way back from Mercy West, right?"

April nodded.

Libby planted a kiss on April's head before pulling away; she angled herself to face her sister. "Jackson cares for you, he's been your best friend for years, sex can't nullify that fully."

April blinked and fat tears trekked down her cheeks almost instantly; "I-I know that. I-I think he's still in love with Lexie and that hurts me most-why would he have sex with me if he's still hung up with someone else? Granted that it was my fault because I kissed him first but he had no qualms doing it with me again inside the men's room-"

"You had public sex?" Libby gasped in shock.

April's eyes widen upon realizing her blunder; she quickly averted her gaze and cursed out loudly.

Libby laughed upon seeing April's comical reaction; "I didn't think you have it in you Apple but you just me proud!"

April stared at Libby with all the seriousness she can muster; "I'll murder you if you ever tell anyone I told you that!"

Libby raised her hands in surrender; "It's our little secret, I promise"

April studied her sister's face before letting her shoulder slump again.

Libby noticed the shift in April's demeanour; "Did you ask him about it?"

April wiped her cheeks; "What for? It's so obvious that he's still pining for her" she said sadly.

"Did you see them?"

"Lexie and the other doctors in our hospital was involved in a plane crash—"

"Oh my god!"

"But they're all alright" April assured her sister.

Libby let out a relieved sigh.

April took that as a sign to continue; she took a deep breath before fixing her gaze on the setting sun. "Let me start at the beginning so you can understand-Lexie-she was Jackson's first serious girlfriend in years—I know he loves her because I was there for him when they broke up" she paused and sighed. "I thought-I thought he was over her because it's been months but when he found out that Lexie was involved in that crash—he lost it. I mean, I lost it too because they're my friends and I care for them all as well—but with Jackson—it was different, he was different."

"What do you mean different?"

April felt her eyes stinging again but she forced it back; "I feel terrible because I feel this way-she barely escaped with her life and she's my friend but I can't help but be hurt when I saw how Jackson never left her side. He's practically glued to her bedside and he never once checked on me-I know my problems are far shallower than what Lexie had to go through but I just-we just-" she paused. "It's stupid and I know that I shouldn't feel this way because he never promised me anything in the first place but I expected a little more concern from him-even for just a tiny bit because I'm his best friend and I needed him to be there for me too. He knew I flunked my boards and he told me that he's sick of leaving me but he couldn't even spare me a minute" she finished with a hollow laugh. "He actually stood me up, can you believe that? He's the one who asked me to wait for him-to talk about whatever it is between us and he didn't even bother to show his face—he didn't say goodbye" she added bitterly.

Libby stared at her sister; "He asked you to wait for him to talk?"

April nodded; "Yeah and I was stupid enough to wait for him for two hours."

"Maybe something happened?"

April turned her face towards her sister and let out a sad smile; "He could've just called me or texted me to let me know but he didn't and that already speaks volumes" she said. She then averted her gaze; "Maybe he really does love Lexie and he's only feeling guilty that's why he wanted to talk to me, what do you think?"

"I think you should call him and talk to him to get the answer"

April thought for a moment before shaking her head; "There's nothing left to talk about Libs, his actions made it clear for me."

"April..."

April let out deep breath before wiping her cheeks with her hands, making sure that there's no evidence of her tears. "It's okay-I will be okay. There's no sense in dwelling in the past, I need to move forward with my life" she said.

Libby let out a sigh; "You'll have to talk to him eventually you know, you'll definitely see him again"

April placed her hands on her lap; "With our current set up? I doubt we'll get that chance, I mean he's heading to Tulane in New Orleans and I'm here in Moline, what are the chances that we'll run into each other again, right?"

"So you're just gonna pretend that you guys didn't happen?" Libby asked.

"It's easier that way Libs—much easier" April said.

Libby stared at her sister sternly; "You have to talk to him Apple, Mom and Dad did not raise you to be a coward."

April let her eyes fall to her lap as she mulls on her sister's words.

* * *

oOo

* * *

**Seattle: Jackson's POV**

Jackson stepped out of the bathroom inside the Residents Lounge and made his way towards his cubby; he was placing his clothes inside his gym bag when his eyes strayed to the empty cubby beside his. "_It's true-it's really true. April left him and they didn't get the chance to talk about what happened between them. He'd be lying to himself if he says that it didn't hurt because it does, she was his rock, his person, his best friend for years and she's been more to him after that fateful night San Francisco. He admits, he's been too pre-occupied with Lexie lately (who happens to be his ex) to the point that he didn't even have time to check on April, but that was not his fault because Mark begged him. But—yeah-maybe he was __**too **__preoccupied because he didn't even know that her contract was not reinstated and she's leaving for Moline..."_

"You alright man?"

Jackson tore his eyes away from April's cubby and turned around; "Err—yeah" he replied. He then cleared his throat and met Alex's eyes; "About last night, thank you for helping me man, I appreciate it a lot. Like what I said, I owe you so if you need anything just tell me."

Alex walked towards his own cubby; "You're welcome and I'll keep that in mind."

Jackson nodded before resuming what his doing before he got sidetracked.

"Kepner left for Moline yesterday, were you able to see her? She was looking for you" Alex said.

Jackson froze.

Alex paused and turned towards the other surgeon; "Avery?"

Jackson cleared his throat; "Err-yeah I saw her briefly" he replied.

Alex raised his brow; "Briefly?"

Jackson zipped his bag close and stuffed it inside his cubby; "Yeah—I was bringing Sophia to Sloan and then I got pulled into an emergency surgery, so yeah-briefly."

Alex nodded; "I see-well, I also have one thing to ask"

"Shoot"

"Are we moving out of the apartment or are we just gonna find a new roommate?"

Jackson faced Alex and threw him a confused look; "Why do we need to find a new roommate?"

Alex leaned on his cubby and crosses his arms on top of his chest; "If you don't want a new housemate then we'll just have to split the rent between us, I mean that's okay with me because I like the privacy and-"

"Split it in two? Why?"

"Dude, I think April's not coming back. I checked her room this morning and all her belongings are already boxed."

Jackson felt the wind got knocked out of his chest; "Boxed?"

Alex nodded; "Yeah-it looks like she'll be sending a moving crew to get it for her or she'll ask one of us to ship it. I was shocked as well because the last time we spoke she never mentioned that she's moving back to Ohio permanently, she pretty much promised me that she'll be back but looking at her room, I doubt it."

"She can't do that. She has to finish her Fellowship and how about her boards?"

Alex shrugged his shoulders; "I also don't know, it's Kepner, she changes her mind every second" he said. He then wrinkled his nose and pulled himself away from his cubby; "Speaking of that, I'll need to talk to Mer, see you later Pretty Boy" he said as he jogged towards the door, not waiting for any response.

Jackson felt his legs moving and before he realizes it he's sitting at the bench right in front of April's cubby; he stared at it for a couple of seconds before burying his face into his palms.

* * *

"I can't believe you! The first time you proposed to me I'm literally trapped under a large stupid metal contraption and I'm bleeding to death! The second time you propose, you're stuck in a wheelchair and I'm plastered to my bed! Why don't you be a normal person and at least wait for us to heal before you go on popping that question" Lexie said indignantly.

Mark tried his best to keep hold of Lexie's hand while sitting on a wheelchair; "But I don't want to wait anymore, we've already wasted enough time as it is. Life is too short and I don't want to spend another day without knowing that your mine, that you'll grow old with me. I love you Lexie Grey, so much that I can feel it in my bones. So marry me, be my wife, be my everything."

Tears fell down Lexie's cheek as she stares at Mark's eyes; she let out strangled sob before wiping her face with her shaking hands. "How can a girl say no to that? Of course I'll marry you, I love you too Mark, so much"

Mark grinned widely; he then turned his head towards the door and whistled. "She agreed to marry me so you can come out now!"

Callie, Alex and Richard peered behind the door and smiled at the newly engaged couple.

Lexie's eyes widen.

Mark turned towards his fiancé and smiled; "I asked them to hide there because if you said no, I wanted them to haul me up your bed so I can pin you down and ask you again" he said cheekily.

Lexie wrinkled her nose; "That's awful Mark! You are awful!"

Callie chuckled as she steps in the room; "That's the plan but I doubt he can pin you long enough without injuring himself in the process" she said. She then smiled at the couple; "Congratulations"

Lexie turned her gaze towards her beau's best friend and smiled; "Thank you Callie" she replied.

Richard and Alex followed Callie's lead and stepped into the room.

"Err—Congratulations" Alex mumbled.

"Thanks Alex" Lexie said.

Richard grinned widely; "I think its sweet that he proposed to you twice, it only proves that he means it. Congratulations to the both of you"

Mark chuckled as he squeezed Lexie's hand; "I'd propose to her again after we get discharged, if that's what she wants" he said.

"You're so whipped!" Callie teased.

Mark smirked; "I am and I'm proud of it" he said smugly. He then cocked his head to the side and stared at the surgeon's standing inside Lexie's room; "Hey-where's my man Avery?"

Callie shrugged her shoulders; "No idea" she said.

"I just saw him a couple of minutes ago, he's in the locker room. But let me warn you, don't mess with him much," Alex said.

"Any particular reason?" Mark asked.

"He's had too much to drink last night; drank himself to stupor, I had to haul his shit faced ass here because he refuses to go home. I hooked him up with an IV to flush out the amount of alcohol he ingested last night but it looks like it didn't help much because he's in a sour mood"

Mark furrowed his brows while in thought; "Doesn't sound like _my_ Avery" he said.

Lexie threw her fiancé an amused look before staring at Alex; "Did something upset him or something? Did he lose a patient?"

Alex cocked his head to the side; "He didn't mention losing a patient last night," he replied.

"What could possibly happen that made him drink like that?" Mark asked loudly. "Aha! Why don't we ask Kepner! She's his best friend right?"

Alex scoffed; "Kepner already left last night, Hunt fired her because she flunked her boards."

"What do you mean she's fired?" Lexie demanded.

Callie's eyes widen in surprise; "How can Owen fire her?"

Richard turned towards Alex; "When did this happen?" he asked.

Alex shrugged his shoulders; "I just found out the other day, Mer told me."

"I think we found our source" Mark said.

Lexie turned towards Mark; "What source?"

Mark met Lexie's eyes; "The source of Avery's distress" he said. He then turned towards Alex; "Page him and send him to my room, I'll talk to him" he said.

"Right away Doc" Alex said before turning on his heels.

"I can't believe Chief Hunt dismissed April like that! She's her student!" Lexie said, clearly aghast.

Richard rubbed his chin while in thought; after a moment he furrowed his brows and stared at the other doctors. "I have to go, I need to check on something" he said before leaving the room.

Callie crossed her arms on top of her chest and sighed; "Now's not the time to fire competent people because we need all the help we can get, this was a stupid move on Hunt's part" she said.

"I couldn't agree more" Mark said.

* * *

"_**Damn, what I'd do to have you here, I wish you were here, Damn, what I'd do to have you near, I wish you were here..."**_

* * *

Jackson is going through his rounds, trying his hardest to maintain the little composure he has left. He's still reeling with what Alex told him and his heart is having a hard time accepting that April will not be coming back to him; he let her leave without so much of a goodbye. He could've called her or at least texted her when he knew he couldn't make it in time, why didn't he even think of using his stupid phone? What kind of best friend does that? No—what kind of man does that? He let out a dejected sigh upon reaching the nurses' station; he glumly placed his charts on top of it and braised his arms on the counter. He was beginning to zone out again when his pager went off; he lazily plucked it from his pocket and read the message. He furrowed his brows and stuffed it inside his pocket again; "I wonder what Sloan wants this time" he murmured to himself before making his way towards the elevator.

* * *

"What do you mean she has her things boxed?" Meredith asked.

Alex crossed his legs and leaned back on the couch; "It's all boxed Mer, I'm telling you. Her room is practically bare, I double checked it this morning" he replied.

Derek tickled Zola's tummy before shifting his eyes away from his daughter and letting it set on his wife; "I thought she told us that she'll just take a vacation in Moline and come back here?"

Meredith turned to Derek; "That's also what I know!"

"She also told me that she'll come back but if is she is, why did she pack all of her things?" Alex asked.

Meredith leaned forward and grabbed her phone from the side table; "Let me call her" she said.

"Good idea" Derek said before shifting his attention back to Zola.

Meredith tapped on April's number and shifted the phone to her ear; after a couple of rings with no answer she pulled the phone away and tapped on the screen again, hitting redial. She placed it back on her ear and waited again.

"No answer?" Alex asked.

"It's just ringing but she's not answering"

"At least it's still ringing, maybe she's feeding the pigs or something" Alex suggested with a smirk.

Meredith snorted; "I can imagine her feeding the pigs and talking to them with the voice she uses with her patients" she said.

Alex laughed while Derek let out smile.

Meredith pulled the phone away from her ear and let out a defeated sigh; "I'll try to call her again later, I don't even know what time it is Moline" she said.

"It's around _seven-ish _there" Derek said.

"Well she can't be feeding the pigs at this time" Alex snickered.

"You were having a party here and you didn't even invite me?" Cristina said from the doorway.

Alex turned his head sideways and furrowed his brows; "You're aware that you shouldn't be prancing around the hospital right?"

Cristina waived her hand dismissively; "I'm okay evil spawn, don't worry much about me."

"You can't argue with her Alex, believe me I already tried" Meredith said.

Cristina entered the room, dragging her IV lines behind her. She walked towards Alex and sat beside him; "What are you guys been up to? I got my hands bloody today" she said with a smirk.

Meredith raised her brow while Derek turned to stare at his wife's best friend.

"What'd you mean?" Alex asked.

"I took off Pretty Boys IV and I kinda nick some vessels so it bled a little but it's okay now, no damage done to his pretty million dollar hand" Cristina replied.

Alex sniggered; "How did that go? Did Pretty Boy throw a hissy fit?"

Cristina cackled; "He almost cried like a bitch baby"

Alex laughed happily.

Meredith furrowed her brows; "Why is Jackson hooked up with an IV in the first place?" she asked.

"He got pissed drunk last night" Alex replied.

Derek looked thoughtful; "I didn't think he's the type who'll drink himself to stupor" he said.

"It surprised me too, I had to haul his ass here because he keeps on yapping that he's on call and he refuses to go home" Alex said.

"I bet he didn't want to deal with Kepner's virginal chastisement, smart man" Cristina said.

Alex and Meredith instantly fell silent.

Cristina paused noticing her friend's reaction; "What? It's true. April tends to nag Jackson's ear off" she said with a smirk.

Derek turned his gaze to Cristina; "April left for Moline last night and we think that she's not coming back."

Cristina's smirk vanished; "What do you mean she's not coming back?"

Alex sighed; "She packed all her things in boxes, we think that she's planning on sending a moving crew to get her things for her."

Cristina frowned; "But she can't to that! What about her Fellowship? She can't just bail like that!"

"Apparently she can since she has no job tying her here" Meredith replied. She then sighed; "Have you talked to Owen?"

"I haven't gotten the chance to speak with him yet since he didn't drop by my room last night" Cristina replied.

"I spoke to him yesterday, he's decision is final" Alex said bitterly.

"We'll still talk to him Karev, he can't just let Kepner go. This hospital needs all the help it can get since we're still indisposed and April proved to be a fine and competent surgeon, we need her here" Derek said.

"She belongs here" Meredith said with finality.

Cristina nodded in agreement before standing up; "I think I'll go find my husband now" she said.

Alex stood up as well; "I'll come with you,"

"I can walk on my own evil spawn, no need to hover around me" Cristina snapped.

"Who says I'm coming with you so I can hover? I'm coming with you because your ass is showing behind that horrible gown and it's scarring the people you happen to pass by. I'm just protecting their eyes from Cristina Yang's yellow underwear so get over yourself" Alex snapped back.

Meredith chuckled with Alex's antics, so did Derek.

Cristina hastily secured the gown to her back before throwing Alex an impressed look; "You're learning evil spawn, I'm kinda impressed" she said with a smile.

"I have you as my role model, who wouldn't learn?" Alex replied with a smirk.

"Careful evil spawn, Kepner is on the run for the most _snarkiest_ soon to be Attending position too, you can't let up and let the Mercy Westers win the spot" Cristina said.

Alex rolled his eyes; "Kepner doesn't even have a job here so if you want her to still be in the running you have to talk to your stingy husband first."

"Oh I plan on talking to him, I'll give him a piece of my brilliant mind" Cristina quipped.

"Then get to it!" Alex said while shooing her friend.

"Later Mer and Derek!" Cristina said while exiting the room.

"Later!" Alex said as he follows the other surgeon.

* * *

Jackson stopped right in front of his mentor's door and knocked three times; when he heard Mark's affirmative response, he pushed the door open and stepped inside the room. "You paged?"

Mark beckoned Jackson to come forward wordlessly.

Jackson raised his brow but followed Mark's silent instructions none the less; he stopped at the side of the bed and waited for his mentor to speak.

Mark leaned forward and grabbed Jackson's chin, startling the other surgeon.

"Hey! What on earth are you doing?" Jackson yelped in protest.

"Shut up and stay still" Mark reprimanded.

Jackson huffed but stopped his movements.

Mark turned Jackson's face left and right-up and down before pulling his hand away; "You look like shit. You have dark circles under your eyes, you have pallid skin and your eyes lost its usual sparkle, what the hell happened to you?"

Jackson stood straight and scowled at Mark; "You just paged me here so you can asses my skin and face?"

Mark leaned on his bed and crossed his arms on top of his chest; "I heard you got pissed drunk last night, what happened?"

"Stupid Karev can't keep his big mouth shut" Jackson mumbled angrily to himself.

"Pull a chair and sit down."

"Are you my shrink now?" Jackson asked irritably.

Mark narrowed his eyes menacingly at Jackson; "Sit down or you wouldn't be able to touch any of my prized patients" he snapped.

Jackson met Mark's eyes and saw that the older surgeon means business; he grudgingly pulled a chair and plopped down with a huff.

"Now tell your old handsome man why you decided to get piss drunk last night" Mark said.

Jackson averted his gaze as he crossed his arms on top of his chest; "I had a tough day, I wanted to unwind" he answered evasively.

Mark raised his brow; "You play ball when you're stressed, you don't drink. So cut the crap and just be honest because I'm telling you now, you won't be able to get your hands on any of my patients if you keep treating me like an imbecile who can't tell a lie from the truth."

Jackson pursed his lips; "It's really nothing that concerns you."

"Whatever got your boxers in a twist concerns me because it affects your appearance. How can you make our patients believe that you can make them look good when you look like shit? You're the only functioning representative of the Plastic Posses for now and it definitely doesn't help us win some cases if you keep on parading in this place like a dark cloud is looming over you. So, out with it already and tell me what's bothering you."

Jackson closed his eyes tightly as the truth in Mark's words hit him like tons of bricks; he leaned forward and braised his elbows on top of his knees, burying his face into his palms.

Mark threw Jackson a concerned look; "I can see that you're not okay and sometimes talking about it works" he said gently.

Jackson pulled his face away from his palms and met Mark's eyes; "I screwed up big time and I don't know how to fix it" he admitted.

Mark cocked his head to the side; "What did you do?"

"I slept with April during our boards" Jackson blurted out.

Mark's eyes widen in shock; "You-you deflowered April Kepner?!"

Jackson's shoulders slump in guilt; "Yeah"

Mark leaned forward; "Was it awful?"

Jackson scowled at his mentor; "It was not awful!" he snapped.

"Then how was it?"

Jackson's face softens upon remembering their tryst; "She was-it was great. More than great actually"

Mark whistled upon seeing the wistful look on his prot's face; "Seems like you enjoyed it _a lot_, so what's the problem?"

Jackson sighed; "She flunked her boards because of it. And now she lost her job too that's why she left for Moline and I don't know if she'll ever come back."

"I heard about what Hunt did and I'm not impressed. Kepner is a good surgeon and this hospital needs someone like her."

Jackson gritted his teeth; "I don't think I can face Hunt, I'm too pissed with him now."

"I can see the wheels turning inside your head now Avery and it's not pretty. Stay away from Admin for a while, we don't want you getting suspended because you pummelled the Chief of Surgery" Mark warned.

Jackson took a deep calming breath; "I know and I'm trying my best, believe me."

Mark leaned back on his pillows; "Do you love her?" he asked bluntly.

Jackson felt his breath hitch in his throat; "I-I-" he stuttered.

Mark smiled knowingly; "You don't have to answer that."

Jackson leaned back on his chair and stared at the floor pensively; "The truth is that I don't what I feel for her. I know I love her because she's my best friend-I don't know if that qualifies for something more."

"You mentioned that you guys weren't able to talk because she left, did you call her already?"

Jackson shook his head.

Mark threw Jackson a baffled look; "Err—why?"

"I don't know what to say to her and I don't know how she'll react upon hearing my voice,"

"Well, you'll never find out unless you try, where's your phone?"

Jackson frowned; "That's actually a good question" he said while fumbling with his pockets.

Mark raised his brow; "Don't tell me you manage to lose your phone too?"

Jackson stood up from his perch; "I'll go check my bag" he said before moving towards the door.

Mark narrowed his eyes at the young surgeon; "You better not be lying to me boy, you haul your ass here as soon as you find your phone, _capiche_?"

Jackson rolled his eyes; "As if I can avoid you forever, you practically have my career in your hands"

Mark smiled; "Damn right I do so scoot, find your pesky phone"

Jackson exited the room and closed the door behind him with a snap.

Mark shook his head, clearly amused; "I've always known they'd end up together" he said to himself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

**Ohio: April's POV**

April is sitting cross legged on her bed while staring at her phone blankly; she plucked the offending device and started tapping on the screen. When she reached Jackson's number, she let her thumb hover above the call button and stared at it; "Maybe he was pulled into an emergency surgery that's why he wasn't able to see me off? Well, if I was in his position I know I wouldn't be able to spare a minute to call someone" she rationalized. She bit her bottom lip hard as she contemplates her next step; maybe Libby was right, they need to talk—if not to solve whatever it is between them, at least to have closure so they'll be able to move on with their lives. Well—it's more on her side because she knows that she won't be able to move past it without talking to him, he's her _Jackman_ and no matter how things are screwed up between them, he's still her best friend and she knows that he considers her as his. Having that in mind, she closed her eyes tightly and tapped on the ominous call button. She shifted the phone to her ear and waited for the dreaded sound of the other line ringing.

"Hello?"

April's eyes snapped open as her heart started beating wildly inside her chest; she pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at the screen. When she confirmed that she dialled the right number; she shifted it back to her ear and listened silently.

"Hello? Is anybody there?"

April felt her eyes stinging and her heart falling to her stomach; she ripped the phone away from her ear and tapped on the end call button. She placed the phone on her side table and switched off her night light with her shaking hand; she burrowed under the covers as she succumbs to the overwhelming sadness and hurt that erupted from her chest upon hearing another woman's voice on the other line.

* * *

oOo

* * *

**Seattle: Jackson's POV**

Jackson hefted out all of his clothes inside his gym bag as he searches for his blasted mobile phone; he fumbled with its pockets and groaned in frustration when he still can't find it. "Fucking A!" he bellowed angrily.

"D—dr. Karev?"

Alex tore his eyes away from his notes and turned around; he narrowed his eyes upon seeing his intern and braised his hands on his waist menacingly. "My patient better not be dying Edwards, what do you want?"

Stephanie Edwards gulped nervously; "I-I-"

"Spit it out! I don't have time for your stuttering!" Alex barked.

Stephanie pulled a familiar phone from her lab coat pocket and offered it Alex; "Joe-asked me to give it back to-to Dr. Avery-he left it at the bar last night and I tried finding him for hours but-but I can't seem to find him."

Alex snatched the phone out of the intern's shaking hand; "I'll give this back to Avery and tell him you found it. Thank you" he said.

"Err-okay"

Alex raised his brow; "Is there anything else?"

"Someone called him—April was the name that was blinking on the screen-I answered it because it kept ringing for a long time-but-but when I answered it—no one is on the other line"

"April?"

Stephanie nodded; "Yes."

Alex stared at the phone in his hand before tapping on the screen, when he saw that it's asking for a code he stuffed it inside his lab coat pocket. "Is there anything else?"

"No-that's all" Stephanie replied.

Alex nodded towards the patients' bed; "Good, now scoot."

Stephanie didn't need to be told twice; she scampered away from the snarky resident and ran towards the other direction.

Alex was about to continue his notes when he heard his name being called again; he let out a frustrated groan before turning around for the second time. "What?" he snapped.

Jackson stood right in front of him; "Did you notice my phone last night? I can't seem to remember where I put it"

Alex inserted his hand inside his pocket to retrieve the other surgeon's phone; "This is your phone right?" he asked.

Jackson's eyes widen before snatching it from Alex's hand; "Where did you find it?"

"You left it at Joe's last night and he asked one of the interns to return it to you" Alex explained.

"I thought I lost it" Jackson said as he began to fiddle with it.

"And oh, Edwards told me that a certain April called you, is that April-April?"

Jackson's hand stilled as he shifted his gaze to Alex; "A—april called?"

Alex crossed his arms on top of his chest; "If she's the only April on your phonebook then it's her. Try checking the call logs, that'll answer your question."

Jackson hastily tapped his phone multiple times before finding the right screen; he felt his heart beating wildly as he waited for the logs to load. He felt a smile tug on his lips upon seeing the familiar name appear on the screen; "It's really April, she called."

Alex smirked at his friend's reaction; "Wow, a complete 365 from your previous mood."

Jackson ignored Alex's taunts and hastily pocketed his phone.

"Whoa-you're not calling her back?"

Jackson smirked; "I'm definitely calling her back but not right in front of you. Thank you man, see you later!" he said cheerfully before walking away.

Alex shook his head; "There's definitely something going on between those two" he said.

* * *

"Avery! I thought you already bailed on me!" Mark said jovially as Jackson enters his room.

Jackson rolled his eyes as he closes the door behind him; "I already told you I won't bail"

Mark stared at the other man for a couple of seconds; "Something good happened, out with it"

Jackson sat down on his chair and threw Mark an amused look; "What gave you that idea?"

Mark gestured towards the spot above Jackson's head; "Simple, I don't see the ominous cloud that was hovering above your head anymore."

"I think the accident addled your brain a little" Jackson said with a chuckle.

Mark grinned widely; "No—the accident put my perspective back into place. I am now a happy and newly engaged man."

Jackson's eyes widen in surprise; "You and Lexie?"

"No—it's me and Derek!" Mark said snarkily. "Of course it's me and Lexie!"

Jackson shot up from his chair and sat himself at the side of his mentor's bed; he leaned forward and gave the old man a very uncharacteristic hug. "Congratulations! I'm happy for you and Lexie! FINALLY!"

Mark chortled happily as he patted Jackson's back; "It took us a plane crash to get us to the same page but we're finally there"

Jackson pulled away as he grinned widely; "When did you propose?"

Mark looked thoughtful for a moment before replying; "Well-I proposed to her two times, actually."

"Twice? When did you have time?"

Mark smiled sheepishly; "I proposed to her when I thought she wouldn't make it, she was-err-under a giant metal rubble" he said while wincing. "The second one was just a couple of hours ago, I was wheeled inside her room and I popped the question again."

Jackson threw Mark a bewildered look; "You proposed to her while she was bleeding?" he asked in disbelief.

Mark chuckled; "Yeah-"

Jackson felt a smile tugging on his lips; "That was-I don't know what to call it man"

"Romantic-we call it romantic Avery"

Jackson stood up from his perch and went back to his chair; "Err—okay-we'll call it romantic."

Mark pouted; "You and Lex has the same reaction, you kids nowadays don't know how to appreciate a grand gesture."

"Err—"

Mark waived his hand dismissively; "Forget it. Back to your problem, what got you off your foul mood?"

Jackson cleared his throat; "April called me."

Mark's eyes twinkled; "Did you have phone sex?"

Jackson scrunched his face in disgust; "We didn't have phone sex! April is not like that!"

"I was just messing with you. So—what did you talk about?"

"I wasn't able to answer her call because my phone was just returned to me a couple of minutes ago."

Mark furrowed his brows; "If you didn't talk to her, then, why are you so happy?"

Jackson smiled; "She called me. She wanted to talk to me. She's not shutting me out and that's important for me."

"Err-okay. Did you call her back?"

Jackson chuckled nervously; "Not yet"

Mark raised his brow; "Why?"

"Because you told me to come back here and I assumed you wanted to eavesdrop" Jackson replied.

Mark's eyes widen in surprise; "You'll let me eavesdrop?"

Jackson smiled sheepishly; "As much as I don't want to—I really need your help. I don't know what to say to her."

"I see-let's get this over with, call her" Mark said.

"Now?"

Mark rolled his eyes; "No-next year. What's wrong with you boy? Of course now!"

Jackson winced; he then shifted his phone right in front of him and tapped on the screen. He took a deep breath before tapping on the call button; he nervously shifted the phone to his ear and waited for the call to connect.

Mark leaned back on his pillows and watched his student flounder like a fish out of water.

After a couple of rings, the call was routed to voicemail. Jackson pulled the phone away from his ear and tapped on the redial button; he shifted it again to his ear and waited.

"She's not answering?" Mark asked.

"It just rings and after a couple of seconds it keeps on getting routed to her voicemail" Jackson replied.

Mark thought for a couple of seconds before it dawned on him; "Moline is in Ohio, right?"

Jackson pulled the phone away from his ear and hit on redial again; "Yeah"

Mark shifted his eyes on the wall clock above his door; "Ohio is 4 hours ahead of us, it's already 9:12 here, so it means that its 12:12 there."

Jackson hastily pulled the phone away from his ear and hit on the end call button; "She might be sleeping" he concluded.

Mark nodded; "I bet she is."

Jackson let out a dejected sigh; "I guess I have to wait until tomorrow then"

"Yep, sorry Avery. We'll try tomorrow" Mark said.

"Yeah."

* * *

"_**I love the way you are. It's who I am don't have to try hard. We always say, say it like it is and the truth is that I really miss all those crazy things you said, you left them running through my head. You're always there, you're everywhere but right now I wish you were here. All those crazy things we did, didn't think about it, just went with it. You're always there, you're everywhere but right now I wish you were here..."**_

* * *

Jackson entered the apartment with a sigh; he knew that he'd be alone tonight but Alex insisted that he needs to suck it up and check on their place because he's on call. He closed the door behind him and locked it; he threw his keys on the clay bowl on the table beside the door and made his way towards the living room. He stared at the empty couch and felt sadness gnaw at his gut; he tore his eyes away from it and decided to just go to his room. He walked along the hallway and paused when he saw April's door slightly ajar; he let out another defeated sigh and made his way towards it. He has every intention of just closing it but when he got a glimpse of her barren room he can't help it; he pushed the door open and stepped in. His eyes instantly landed on the boxes that are piled beside the naked bed; he felt his legs moving and before he knows it he's sitting on top of it. He slowly placed his hands on the mattress and ran his palms on top of it; he felt a heavy weight settle inside his chest as his throat began to constrict.

* * *

_**Flashback:**_

_Lexie entered the resident's locker room and spotted her beau; "Hey, you paged? I can't get out of here yet-I gotta follow up with my patient, make sure she's in her right frame of mind" she said._

_"Yeah" Jackson replied as he tugs on his sleeve._

_Lexie noticed Jackson's demeanour; "You okay?" she asked._

_Jackson shifted in his feet before meeting Lexie's gaze; "Yeah-I just missed a surgery today-no, that's not true, I avoided a surgery today-the one I wanted to do for weeks because of this thing between you and Mark" he said._

_"There is nothing between me and Mark" Lexie denied._

_"Yeah-I've been trying really really hard to believe that but there is a thing and it's not going anywhere anytime soon. And this new thing with me and Platics, that's not going away either. Something's gotta budge."_

_Lexie kept quiet and just stared at Jackson._

_"So, I have to walk away from you, for me."_

_Lexie swallowed hard; "So-you're picking Mark?" she asked._

_"I spent way too much time sabotaging my own career Lex," Jackson explained. He then shrugged on his jacket and licked his lips; "Yeah-I'm picking Mark" he said. He shifted away from Lexie and began walking away; when his close to the door, he paused and faced her again. "Can you tell me I shouldn't?" he asked hopefully._

_Lexie wasn't able to answer and averted her gaze._

_Jackson gritted his teeth as he stepped out of the room._

_April was rounding the corner when he saw Jackson briskly walking towards the exit; "Jackson!" she shouted._

_Jackson paused and turned towards her direction; "Hey" he said stoically._

_April noticed her best friend's foul mood so she decided to find out what's bothering him; she jogged towards the other surgeon and stopped right in front of him. "You okay?"_

_Jackson tightened his hold on his satchel; "Yeah."_

"_You don't look okay"_

_Jackson glared at April; "I already told you I'm fine so stop asking me that question" he snapped._

_April's eyes widen, clearly taken aback by Jackson's response; she took a step back and cleared her throat. "Err-okay, sorry" she mumbled before quickly spinning on her heels._

_Jackson instantly felt bad upon seeing the look on April's face; he grabbed her arm with his hand before she's able to make an escape. "I'm sorry"_

_April paused and turned her face towards him; "It's okay" she replied. She smiled awkwardly before pulling her arm away from his grasp; "I—err—I'll go now. Goodnight Jackson, bye" she said before walking away._

"_April!" Jackson called out._

_April halted her steps and turned around; "What?" she asked._

"_Do you want to go grab something from Joe's?"_

_April bit her bottom lip as she stares at Jackson, uncertainty and discomfort about what just happened clearly written on her face._

"_I promise I won't snap at you again" Jackson said._

_April let out a small smile before nodding; she walked towards Jackson and fell into step with him. "You don't have to tell me what's wrong you know and I'm sorry if I'm being nosy" she said._

_Jackson wrapped his arm around April's shoulders and began steering her towards the exit; "I know you are not nosy and you're only asking because you care for me. I'm sorry for being mean a couple of minutes ago, it's just been a hard day" he said._

_April grabbed the hand that's dangling from her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze; "It always gets really hard before it gets better, I'm sure that whatever it is, you'll get through it" she said with a comforting smile._

_Jackson pulled April closer and gave her one of his rarest smile; "Just stay with me for a little while, having you beside me always makes me feel better"_

"_I'll always have your back Jackman, me and you" April said brightly._

"_Me and you" Jackson repeated._

oOo

"_This one has a patio and a garage but this one has hardwood floors and a washer-dryer" April said while watching Jackson._

"_Are you sure you wanna move?" Jackson asks as he squats right in front of the open fridge._

"_Err—Meredith and Derek have a baby and you're leaving with your ex, we're moving" April said with finality before shifting her eyes back to the catalogues._

"_I'll move, Zola's killing my game. Every girl I bring home wants a baby the minute they see her" Alex said as he walks towards the fridge._

_April made a face; "Ha. Ha. Ha. No! I'm not living with you—I'm trying to get away from you."_

_Alex paused and turned towards Jackson; "Alright, then you and me, you don't want to live with Mary Poppins" he said._

_Jackson placed his food on the table and pulled a chair beside April; "Nah—she cooks, she cleans."_

_April turned her head towards Jackson and glared at him; "And I'm also you're friend?"_

oOo

_Alex was getting food for himself when April approached him; "I need a hundred bucks."_

_"I told you if you're dumb enough to buy groceries I'm gonna eat them" Alex replied._

_"No, not for groceries-for a security deposit. We'll lose out on a great 3 bedroom if we don't get it to the landlord today"_

_Alex paused and threw April a confused look; "Now, you want to live with me?"_

_April glared at Alex; "No. You're gross and a pig and a skank magnet and you leave your dirty boy socks everywhere. Keep going this way and you'll wind up old and alone wondering the streets with some ancient form of Syphilis-"_

_"Alright I think what she's trying to say is yes, she would be happy if you'd be our roommate" Jackson said as he shifts closer to April, placing his hand on her back._

_"Cool" Alex said before walking away._

_Jackson moved away from April's side and stood right in front of her; "So-we couldn't afford the nicer apartment just the two of us right?" he asked before taking a sip of his drink._

_"Hardwood floors and a washer-dryer, what can I say, I want what I want" April replied before turning her back at Jackson._

_Jackson gritted his teeth as he watches her walk away._

oOo

_"Don't you think it's weird that we're not even talking about it? You know things are unresolved here" Jackson said as he stares at April._

_April squeezed Jackson's arm drukenly; "We're still friends-we're still good Jackman!" she assured him. "Oh I love this song!" she added before bouncing on her feet and running towards Meredith and Cristina who's dancing on top of the couch._

_Jackson watched April with concern as he stood up._

_"Kepner is wasted, that's a first" Alex said as he stood beside Jackson._

_"Yeah-well lately, she's been all about firsts" Jackson replied, still not taking his eyes away from April whose dancing crazily on top of the couch._

_**End of Flashback**_

* * *

Jackson collapsed back on April's bed and closed his eyes tightly; "You're an asshole Jackson Avery. She's always been there for you and you've been too daft to notice. You deserve to be left behind, she's too good for you" he said loudly. He turned on his side and buried his face on the mattress; he felt the longing in his heart escalate when he caught a wisp of April's scent that's still lingering from her bed. "Gods I miss you Apes, please come home."

* * *

oOo

* * *

**Ohio: April's POV**

April woke up early so she decided to help her dad with some farm chores; she stepped out into the back porch and stretched her arms upward, still yawning.

"Are you sure you're awake enough to help me?" Joe asked.

April let her arms fall limp to her side before smiling at her father; "Of course. Let me just slip on my boots and we can go" she said brightly. She walked towards the nearest chair and plopped down; "What are we doing first Daddy?" she asked as she slips her rubber boots on.

"What do you want to do? Basically I just need to feed the pigs, chickens and horses then I'm off to the field" Joe replied.

April stood up from her chair and began walking towards her father; "I can do the feeding if you want, you can go directly to the field, it'll save you more time" she said.

Joe stared at her daughter's familiar clothes and smiled; "I miss seeing you in farm clothes pumpkin" he said with a large grin.

April giggled as she lifted her booted foot towards her father; "I miss wearing these babies too, I forget how comfortable they are" she said.

Joe wrapped his arm around her daughter's shoulder and began steering her towards the barn; "You can wear them for as long as you like."

April laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

**Seattle:**

"What do you mean he left?" Meredith asked.

Cristina crossed her arms on top of her chest as she leans back on her pillow; "It's true. I went to Admin yesterday like I promised but he's not there. I went there again this morning but he's still not in so I approached his secretary, Lydia, she told me that Owen will not be coming in today because he had to take care of something and he'll be back tomorrow. I tried calling his phone a couple of minutes ago but I keep getting routed to his voicemail" she explained. She then narrowed her eyes menacingly; "He better tell me what he's up to or I might castrate him if I find out that he's cheating on me again!"

"Didn't we already establish that we're not gonna talk about cheating anymore?" Meredith said as she sits herself at the foot of the bed.

"Yeah-you're right" Cristina replied.

"You'll eventually find out where he went so try not think about it much."

"Yeah-I guess so" Cristina replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

**Ohio: April's POV**

April pursed her lips as she stood right in front of the pig pen, her eyes instantly focusing on one particular pig. "And just when I thought I can get by with my day without thinking about your ass that way, I'm suddenly reminded" she said disdainfully.

* * *

_**Flashback:**_

_April was writing on the O.R. board when Mark saw her; he walked towards the red head resident and stood beside her. "You're an attractive woman" he said._

_April looked around her before turning towards the Plastic Attending; "Who? Me?" she asked._

_Mark clasped his hands at back; "You and Avery spend a lot of time together, don't you?" he asked._

_April began leafing through her charts; "We do-yes but we're just study buddies, I mean, we're not-you know" she said with a chuckle._

_"He's an attractive guy-nice bone structures, hypnotic eyes-etcetera" Mark said while eyeing April intently._

_April made a face; "I guess so..." she trailed off, clearly confused with what Mark is getting at._

_"Have you noticed how uptight he's been lately?" Mark asked._

_April moved her hair out of her face; "Like I said we're study buddies so-"_

_"Study buddies should help each other out, relieve some of that stress-maybe extend that buddy relationship" Mark said suggestively._

_April stared at Mark confusedly; "Extend? I don't-"_

_Mark turned towards April; "You're two attractive people, any thoughts on how to alleviate that stress?"_

_April furrowed her brows and began thinking; "We could go for more walks,"_

_"Walks are good, walks are nice. I was thinking since your already study buddies-you could extend that relationship, become the other kind of buddies"_

_April's eyes widen in shock when she understood what Mark was implying; "Are you? You-" she stuttered, clearly appalled._

_Mark nodded; "I am."_

_"Dr. Sloan!" April said sternly._

_"Everyone wins"_

_"The-this is sexual harassment, you know that right?"_

_"I'm trying to give sexual encouragement" Mark said._

_April opened her mouth to respond but when no words came out she just spun on her heels and walked away in huff._

_"Think about it Kepner! Take one for the team!" Mark said as he raises his hands, giving the other surgeon thumbs up._

_April scowled and ran away._

_**End of Flashback**_

* * *

April shook her head; "Stupid Mark Sloan, putting those stupid ideas in my head. If he didn't mention anything then I wouldn't have thought about actually jumping my stupid best friend!" she huffed. She then grabbed the rope above the barrel and walked towards the wooden gate; she unlocked it and stepped inside the pen. "Slop time everyone and I know exactly who gets to eat last" she said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

**Seattle: Jackson's POV**

"Dude wake up!" Alex says loudly as he taps on Jackson's shoulder.

Jackson groaned and opened his eyes; "Waswrong?" he asked sleepily.

"You have to haul your ass now to the shower or you'll be freaking late" Alex said.

Jackson swallowed a couple of times before sitting up the bed; he blinked a couple of times and studied his surroundings.

Alex scrunched his face and crossed his arms on top of his chest; "I can't believe you slept here, the bed doesn't even have covers and you don't have pillows"

Jackson stood up and began walking towards the door; "I was tired last night and I guess I just fell asleep. I'm gonna take a bath now, thank you for waking me up" he said.

Alex waited for Jackson to leave before snorting; "Yeah right, make us all believe that you're indifferent about Kepner leaving, sleeping in her room really proves that" he said before turning on his heel and exiting the red head's room.

* * *

oOo

* * *

**Ohio: April's POV**

April secured the rope around the neck of the last pig before patting it on the head apologetically; "I'm sorry, didn't mean to take it out on you but don't worry, I saved the best for last" she said with a smile. She then tugged on the makeshift leash and began guiding the pig outside the barn; "So-come on Jax, slop time, just about to get you there, you're just gonna get-Dr. Hunt?"

"Hey, Uh, your dad told me where I could find you." Owen said.

April stared at her former mentor with wide eyes; "What-what are you doing here?"

Owen stared at April for a couple of seconds before speaking; "I want you to come back and work at the hospital."

"What?" April asked breathlessly.

Owen let out a sigh; "Nothing is the same over there. It's all-I keep trying to think ways I could've done things differently and uh, If I'd realized they were missing sooner, I keep looking for the do-over's and there's no do over's, there's just the way it is and I can't fix that, except for this."

"Wh-"

"Except for you. I didn't teach you, not the way that I should have. I should've helped you be strong, instead of kicking you when you were down. I should never have taken your job from you"

April stared at Owen silently as she patted her pigs head.

"You don't belong out here on a farm" Owen said. He then shifted closer and placed his hand on April's shoulder comfortingly; "You belong in Seattle, saving lives, now come home" he finished with a smile.

April bit her bottom lip as she contemplates Owens' offer.

* * *

"_**No, I don't wanna let go, I just wanna let you know that I never wanna let go..."**_

* * *

**Seattle: Jackson's POV**

Jackson climbs inside his car and closed the door behind him; he stared at the driveway for a couple of seconds before pulling out his phone from his jacket's pocket. He unlocked the screen and began looking for April's number; he took a deep breath before tapping on the call button. He shifted the phone to his ear and waited for the call to connect; after a couple of rings, his call is being diverted to voicemail again but instead of hanging up like he did last night he waited for the familiar beep that'll tell him that he can start recording his message, after a couple of seconds he heard it. "Hi-it's me Jackson-I tried calling you last night but it was late and I think that you're already asleep. I-err-I just called to make sure that you made it home okay and-and to tell you that I'm sorry if I wasn't able to meet you at Joe's. I got pulled into an emergency surgery that time that's why I wasn't able to inform you—I'm sorry if you waited" he paused "April-I-I didn't want you to leave—I need to talk to you so we can try to fix things between us-we can't leave it this way-we can't let this friendship go-I can't let you go so please, once you receive this message, call me or text me or whatever, I'll wait for it. bye" Jackson pulled the phone away from his ear and stuffed it back inside his pocket; he inserted his key into the ignition and started the engine.

* * *

_**A/N: This is my advance valentines gift to you guys, I hope you like it! ^-^ Again, tell me what you think, should I still continue writing this fic or should I just stick with one shots? Let me know! Cheers! ^-^**_


	3. Can we still be friends?

**Chapter Three: Can we still be friends?**

* * *

"_**We can't play this game anymore but can we still be friends? Things just can't go on like before but can we still be friends?"**_

* * *

**Ohio: April's POV**

"Hey pumpkin, did you see Dr. Hunt? I saw him wondering around the place, he looked lost that's why I approached him, he's looking for you"

April returned the rope on top of the barrel before dusting off her hands; "Yep I saw him" she replied.

"What does he want?" Joe asked.

"He offered me my job back" April replied nonchalantly.

Joe grinned widely; "That's good news!"

April threw her father a side glance; "Yeah—" she replied with a half hearted small smile.

Joe noticed his daughter's indifference; "What's wrong pumpkin? Aren't you happy?"

"Of course I'm happy—I'm just a little bit tired I guess" April lied.

"Why don't head back and I'll finish this?"

"I can finish this Daddy, don't be silly" April replied with a giggle.

Joe walked towards April and placed his hands on her shoulders; "I insist, go" he said.

April rolled her eyes; "Fine."

* * *

oOo

* * *

**Toledo Express Airport:**

Two weeks had passed and it's finally time for April to go back to Seattle; she's still hesitant about taking her old job back but her parents convinced her to go. So now, here she is-standing in the middle of the Airport, looking lost for some reason.

"Stop looking like your favourite pig just died, lighten up Apple-this should be a happy time because you're getting your job back" Libby said.

April pursed her lips; "You know why I look like this, I didn't want to come back."

Libby rolled her eyes; "You and I both know that's a lie, you love that hospital and the people there—hell, how many times did you skip on family reunions for them?"

"Fine."

Libby smiled, she walked towards her younger sister and reached for her hands; "You have nothing to be afraid of, he's not gonna be there."

April averted her gaze and sighed; "I know" she whispered.

Libby squeezed April's hands comfortingly; "You are a strong woman April, you'll be okay."

April lifted her gaze and met Libby's eyes; she let out small smile before pulling her sister into a tight hug. "Thank you for being there Libs, I love you."

Libby rubbed her sister's back soothingly before pulling away; she then leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on April's forehead. "Now go, you'll be late for your flight. Don't forget to let us know when you arrived there safely, okay?"

April nodded; "I will" she said.

Libby pulled April into another quick hug before taking a step back; "Go," she said while gesturing towards the boarding gates.

"Tell Sophie I love her and I'll see her soon. Love you Libs, drive safely" April said before turning on her heels and began walking away.

"Will do, love you too Duckie! Have a safe flight"

April laughed upon hearing her childhood nickname; "Stop calling me Duckie!" she said good-humouredly.

Libby just laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Meredith entered the Attendings Lounge and dropped her charts on top of the table; "Hey Alex, why did an intern gave me compliment on the crown mouldings in my empty house? Are you still sleeping there?"

"Chicks like it better than the on-call room" Alex replied as he screws the bottle cap back on the milk.

Miranda stacked Meredith's charts neatly on the table as she stares at the bickering surgeons.

"Okay, that's disgusting. Now I have to have the place tented, give me back my key"

Alex moved towards the table and sat down; "You don't even live there anymore. What do you care?" he replied while putting his bowl on top.

Meredith narrowed her eyes; "Key. Please."

The door suddenly opened and admitted an excited looking April Kepner; "Hey you guys!" she said cheerfully. She dragged her luggage behind her and began looking around the room; "Can you believe we're in the Attendings' Lounge?"

"April, what are you doing here?" Meredith asked in surprise.

April stopped right in front of the table and faced her friends; "Oh, uh, Hunt came and got me on the farm in Moline. I was giving the pigs their breakfast and I turned around, and there's Dr. Hunt, offering me my job back, he didn't tell you guys?"

Miranda stared at April blankly as Alex shook his head.

"Did anyone else see Dr. Hunt in the barnyard?" Meredith teased.

April rolled her eyes at her friend before bending towards her luggage.

"When he appeared unto you, was he glowing at all?" Alex asked with smirk.

The door was yanked open again and this time a sour looking Jackson sauntered in; he's tugging his scrubs top up when he noticed a figure hunched behind the table, making him do a double-take when he recognized the auburn locks. "April?" he asked, clearly in shock.

April stood straight and turned around; she felt her breath hitch in her throat when she saw the person she least expected to see standing beside Meredith.

Meredith threw Jackson a side glance before smiling happily; "Hunt hired her back."'

"We think, it might've been Jesus." Alex teased.

April's eyes widen as she stared at Jackson; "I thought you went to Tulane."

Jackson averted his gaze and began pulling his scrub top off; "Uh, yeah. No, I-I-I changed my mind" he stuttered.

Miranda scowled at the Plastic Fellow; "Hey, you people are Attending's, you do not change clothes in front of everyone."

Alex turned his eyes towards April and caught her staring at Jackson's body.

"-like animals or interns because nobody wants to see all that"

Alex snorted; "Apparently Kepner does"

April shuddered and shifted her eyes to Alex; "What? N-no, I d-I don't. I-I wasn't-I" she stuttered and when she couldn't find the right words to say, she just averted her gaze.

Meredith threw April and Jackson an amused look.

Alex's pager went off so he plucked it from his pocket; he read the message and hastily stood up from his chair. "Gotta go" he said before scurrying away, leaving his breakfast on the table.

Meredith plucked her things from the table as well and smiled at April; "Me too. Welcome back" she said before following Alex.

Miranda opened her mouth to chastise her former prots but they were out the room even before she's able to utter a word.

Jackson pulled on a new scrub top before walking towards the door; he paused midway and turned his face towards April. "Glad your back"

April smiled awkwardly; "I am back-too. I'm also glad to be back" she said before biting her lip and avoiding Jackson's gaze.

"Okay" Jackson said before stepping out of the room.

April squared her shoulders before following her friends, leaving Miranda glaring at the mess they all left.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson made a bee line towards the elevator and hit on the "_up_" button; he tapped his foot impatiently as he waited. Once the metal doors flung open, he boarded it hastily and punched the appropriate floor on control panel. "Fucking A!" he cursed loudly. When the elevator chimed, he didn't even wait for it to fully open and just slipped through the gap; he jogged towards the Burn Center and began looking for his mentor frantically.

"Jackson?"

Jackson quickly turned around and saw Lexie standing near the nurses' station, sporting a cane; he briskly walked towards her direction and stood right in front of her. "Where's Sloan? I need to talk to him, right now."

Lexie furrowed her brows and stared at Jackson worriedly; "He's inside the Burn Center—what's wrong? Are you-"

Jackson didn't even let Lexie finish her sentence before bolting towards the door; he yanked it open and stepped inside.

Lexie leaned on the counter and stared at the swinging doors perplexedly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April's hands are still shaking when she reached the Chief of Surgery's office; she lifted her right hand and knocked. When she heard Owen's affirmative response, she pushed the door open and peered inside.

"Look what the cat dragged in" Cristina said with a large smirk.

April felt a smile tugging on her lips upon seeing Cristina's familiar face; "HI Cristina" she greeted.

Cristina stood up from her perch and walked towards April; "Welcome back Kepner, let me know if you need a tour" she teased.

April laughed; "I'll page you, don't worry" she replied.

Cristina waived her hand before exiting the room, closing the door behind her.

Owen smiled widely at April; "It's good to have you back on board Kepner, take a seat so we can get this show on the road. I know you're itching to get your hands bloody" he said.

"Damn right" April said with a huge smile before taking a seat right in front of Owen.

"Kepner is here?"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson halted his pacing and turned towards his mentor; "That's what I told you! I just saw her a couple of minutes ago. SHE'S HERE!"

Mark smirked as he crosses his arms on top of his chest; "So-what's the problem? You want her back, right?"

"Of course I want her back but I-I don't know what to do!" Jackson rubbed his face with his hands, clearly frustrated.

"Stop acting like a pussy and just talk to her. You're not gonna get things fixed if you keep on acting like this, grow a pair Avery, man up!" Mark said sternly.

Jackson pulled his face away from his palms; "Easy for you to say!" he huffed.

Mark rolled his eyes before turning around and walking away.

"Where are you going?"

"I have patients to check on, find me once you already got your balls back" Mark said. He then paused and turned towards his prot; "Don't you have a consult for excess skin removal this morning?" he asked.

"Shit!" Jackson cussed before running towards the door.

Mark braised his hands around his waist while shaking his head; "One peek and he's already a mess."

* * *

oOo

* * *

April walked towards the pit donning her navy scrubs and new attending's lab coat proudly; she entered the room and felt a smile tug on her lips upon seeing the familiar hustle and bustle of the E.R she grew to love.

"Kepner, come here!"

April shifted her eyes to the nurses' station and saw Alex standing there; she made her way towards her friend and smiled brightly. "What's up?"

Alex raked his eyes on April's body before whistling in appreciation; "You look hot in that scrubs."

April let out a chuckle; "Yeah right, what do you need?"

Alex brought his hands to his chest and feigned hurt; "Can't I compliment you without ulterior motives?"

"I know you too well Alex Karev, so spill, what do you need?"

Alex let his hands fall limp to his side before pursing his lips petulantly; "You're no fun Apes" he said. He then leaned towards the counter and plucked a chart; he waived it right in front of the red head and smiled. "I know it's your first day back but I also know that two weeks without getting blood in your hands is maddening, so-want to get your hands dirty and do a Hernia Repair?"

April snatched the chart from Alex and start perusing the notes with enthusiasm; "I could kiss you for this"

Alex smirked; "I've always known that you still have the hots for me" he teased.

April lifted her gaze from the chart and closed it; she placed it on top of the counter before taking a step closer to Alex. She slowly lifted her hands towards his face and rested it on top of his cheeks; she moved her face closer to his before smiling. "You wish" she said before pinching the cocky surgeon's cheeks, hard.

Alex yelped in pain.

April chortled happily as pulls her hands away; she snatched the chart from the counter and began skipping towards the door. "Thank you for the surgery Alex, I owe you one!"

Alex rubbed his cheeks as he scowled at April's retreating form; "That bloody hurt Kepner and you owe me two!" he yelled.

"I know! See you later!" April replied before rounding the corner.

Alex pulled his hands away from his stinging cheeks before sniggering; "Let's see if you will still thank me after you find out who you'll be operating with."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"—And we've set up a consult from General for the Hernia Repair" Jackson said before shifting his gaze towards his intern.

"Yeah—I did" Stephanie replied.

The door burst open as April sauntered in; she felt her heart drop to her stomach when she caught a glimpse of the other doctor who's working on the same case. "Hey-I'm it."

Jackson tore his eyes away from his notes and turned his gaze towards the newcomer; he felt his breath hitch inside his throat upon seeing April standing on the other side of the bed.

April forced out an awkward smile before turning her gaze towards the patient; "I am—I'm your consult" she said while fidgeting with her coat pocket.

"Oh—okay—Hi" Jackson stuttered. He then cleared his throat and turned his eyes towards the patient; "Uh, Dr. Kepner is going to repair your hernia, so-I'll just need to go over some incision points"

Roxie turned towards Frank; "Um, honey, could you—they want me to take off my robe."

"Roxie this is a big operation, I want to know everything that's gonna happen to you"

"Frank, please?"

Frank turned towards Jackson; "This is my fiancé, the love of my life. You guys do a good job, okay?"

April shifted her eyes to Jackson subtly before moving it towards the patient.

Jackson nodded; "Of course"

"I'll be right outside, babe" Frank said before leaning towards his fiancé, kissing her chastely on the lips.

April averted her gaze, obviously feeling uncomfortable with the public display of affection.

"Okay" Roxie replied. She waited for Frank to step out of the room before hopping off her bed and taking of her robe.

Jackson took his marker from his pocket and stepped right in front of his patient; "Okay." He then leaned right in front of Roxie and began drawing on the abdomen; "Now, I'm gonna start with some incisions here and here" he explained.

Roxie turned towards April; "The man's a saint, we've been together two years and we still haven't—you know, had sex" she paused.

April nodded and swallowed hard.

Roxie shifted her hands to her bulging stomach and squeezed it with a wince; "I mean when we cuddle, wh—when he squeezes me here, it makes me cringe. I just want to feel—pretty."

"You're already pretty" April interjected.

"You sound like Frank"

"Do you have any questions for me before the surgery?" Jackson asked.

Roxie turned her eyes to Jackson; "Just one—When?"

"I'm sorry?" Jackson asked while standing up.

"I think she wants to know when she and Frank-" April trailed off.

"When can I jump his bones?" Roxie asked.

April let out a chuckle.

Jackson threw April a smile before shifting his eyes back towards his work; "Your incisions will be healed in about two weeks. So after that, you and Frank can be as physical as you like."

April felt her mouth go dry so she swallowed hard.

"Two weeks? Wow! I just got butterflies."

April forced out a smile upon seeing Jackson looking at her.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Where's the fire?"

April halted in her steps and turned to see who spoke; she felt cheeks flush upon recognizing the man leaning on the wall next to the patient's room. "Err-Dr. Sloan, it's nice to see you're doing fine" she said.

Mark crossed his arms on top of his chest before grinning widely; "It's nice to have you back Kepner"

April smiled shyly at the Plastics Attending; "T—thank you"

Mark gestured towards the patient's room; "You doing the hernia repair for my boy's patient?" he asked.

"Yeah-"

"I see, you guys should coordinate about the incision points so it will be easier for you to get good visibility" Mark said.

April nodded; "Okay"

Mark opened his mouth speak again but was cut off when the door beside him was pulled open; he shifted his eyes towards his prot and smirked. "Hey Avery"

Jackson was startled to see his mentor leaning casually on the wall; "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Mark pointed towards April; "I was just catching up with Kepner there," he said.

Jackson turned his eyes towards April and let out an awkward smile; "H—hey" he greeted.

April swallowed hard; "Hi" she replied She then shifted on her feet and gestured towards the elevator; "I-I have to go, I still need to talk to Karev—err—it was nice talking to you Dr. Sloan—Jackson" she said before turning on her heels and scurrying away.

Jackson let out a sigh as he helplessly watch April's back disappear from the corridor; he braises his hands around his waist and bowed his head.

Mark pulled himself away from the wall and stood beside his student; he lifted his hand and smacked him square at the back of his head.

Jackson jerked forward with the impact; "What the hell is that for?" he asked while facing his mentor angrily.

"That's the best you have? "_HEY_"?"

Jackson righted himself and scowled; "What do you want me to say? She can barely stand my presence and you just saw that!"

Mark placed his hands on his hips; "If you talked to her like I told you to then you wouldn't have to suffer this stupid awkwardness between the two of you."

"I'm trying here!"

"Based from what I just witnessed you're not trying hard enough"

Jackson threw Mark an annoyed look before walking away without a word.

"Really Avery? _Hey_? Grow a pair!" Mark taunted.

Jackson lifted his hand flipped Mark a bird.

Mark laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April entered the cafeteria and began searching for a familiar face; once she spotted some of her friends, she hastily moved towards them.

Lexie smiled widely upon seeing April approaching their table; "April! It's nice to see that you're finally back!" she said jovially.

April smiled back at Lexie; "I'm glad to be back" she replied. She then cocked her head to side when she noticed that other surgeon is wearing scrubs; "Are you working already?"

"Not really. I'm stuck with admin work and babysitting duties-skills lab and I have to drag this stupid cane along with me, it's unflattering" Lexie pouted.

April chuckled; "You need the cane Lex and you're still recovering, so take it easy" she said. She then shifted her eyes towards the older Grey; "Have you seen Alex?"

Meredith swallowed her food before answering; "He got pulled into an emergency surgery a couple of minutes ago. Boating accident—teenage rebellion gone awry"

April pursed her lips; "Sounds to me that it will take him hours to finish."

"It will, the patient's right foot was completely shrivelled" Meredith said in a matter of factly way.

April grimaced; "Ouch"

"Cool!" Lexie said.

Meredith turned towards her sister and smiled; "I know"

April threw the sisters a weird look before shaking her head to clear her thoughts; she shifted on her feet and eyed Meredith. "Hey—you interested in doing a hernia repair tomorrow?"

Meredith turned towards the red head and stared at her sceptically; "Why?"

April smiled hopefully; "I have one tomorrow, you can have it if you want".

Meredith raised her brow as she scrutinizes April's _too _perky demeanour; she stared at her for a couple of more seconds before shaking her head. "No."

"Come on Mer, you know you want to" April cajoled.

Meredith shook her head; "Nope. Not interested."

April's smile vanished as a look of desperation crossed her face; "Please?" she pleaded.

"No."

April pursed her lips petulantly before turning on her heels; "Fine" she said before quickly walking away.

Lexie turned towards her sister and raised her brow; "What's wrong with her?"

Meredith shrugged her shoulders; "I don't know."

* * *

"_**We had something to learn, now it's time for the wheel to turn. Grains of sand, one by one before you know it, all gone..."**_

* * *

Jackson was double checking his patient's scans when he heard the door being opened.

April halted in her steps upon seeing the familiar figure sitting across her; awkwardly, she closed the door and greeted Jackson the best way she can without stammering. "Hey"

"Hey" Jackson replied.

April turned her eyes away and made a bee line towards her luggage; "Uh-we should agree on the positioning for the incisions' for our surgery so that I can have good visibility for the hernia" she grabbed her toiletries and walked back towards Jackson.

"Yeah-Uhm..." Jackson replied before turning towards the computer; he tapped on the screen and showed April the visualization. "I'm gonna go in here and then here" he said.

April leaned forward and began checking the areas; "Great. Good. Okay-that looks good. Good" she said.

Jackson turned towards April again and saw the toiletries she's holding. "Didn't Alex give you your new keys?" he asked while taking a peek at her luggage.

April followed Jackson's gaze; "Err-not yet. I'm still waiting for him to get off of his surgery" she said.

"I'm on call tonight, you can use mine" Jackson offered.

April shook her head; "No, it's okay-I'll just wait for him"

Jackson returned his gaze back to April and saw an open window to explain his side; "I wasn't able to meet you at Joe's that night April, because-"

"I'm _revirginizing_" April blurted out.

Jackson furrowed his brows and stared at her confusedly.

"Uhm-it's...it's a thing-_revirginizing_ it involves a lot of prayer, which I had time to do in Moline, staring at the N'sync posters on my wall which kind of makes me think of Jesus as Justin Timberlake but my Pastor says that's totally fine you know, as long as I'm still talking to Him and keeping the communication lines open-"

"Okay, April, you-"

"It's my second chance, Jackson. I didn't think I'd get one but then Dr. Hunt showed up in Moline and offered me my job back and that was my sign that I get to recommit myself to God. I-I can accept His forgiveness and-and have a second chance" April paused and smiled; "A do-over, you know, without all the mistakes, just slate wiped clean-I'm"

"_Revirginizing_" Jackson snapped, cutting April off mid ramble.

"Yes!"

"Which is really your way of saying that you want to pretend that you and I never happened." Jackson said pointedly.

"No, that is not..."

Jackson stood from his perch and began walking towards the door without a word.

April turned around and followed him with her gaze; "It's-it's-it's not that simple-"

Jackson ignored April's explanation and closed the door behind him.

April stared at the door for a moment before walking towards the other direction; "Unbelievable! How can he be angry at me when he's the one who stood me up? I should've listened to his stupid voicemail message instead of deleting it perhaps I would have a clue why he's acting like a victim here!" she huffed with frustration.

* * *

"_**Let's admit we made a mistake but can we still be friends? Heartbreak's never easy to take but can we still be friends?"**_

* * *

"Hey you guys, morning" April chirped brightly as she entered the Attendings' Lounge.

"I still can't believe Owen went to a pig farm" Cristina said with an amused smirk.

"Believe it, he did" April said as she walks towards the coffee stand.

Meredith chuckled; "You ready for your hernia repair?"

April grabbed a cup and began making her morning beverage; "Yeah, my first surgery after my vacation."

Jackson entered the room and quietly made his way towards the locker area, not sparing a glance at the room's occupants.

Cristina raised her brow and turned towards Meredith; "What crawled up his ass and died?" she asked.

"I don't know" Meredith replied before sipping her own coffee.

April plucked her cup from the stand and made her way towards the table; she was almost there when she felt her body being hit by another person, making her spill coffee on herself.

"Shit!" Jackson hissed. He hastily leaned forward and grabbed a napkin from the table; he began patting it on April's drenched lab coat before gazing at her apologetically. "I'm sorry"

April's mouth hangs open as she tries to digest what just happened; she blinked a couple of times before she started tugging the napkin off Jackson's hands.

Jackson frowned when he suddenly remembered their last conversation; he hurriedly snatched the napkin away from her grasp and glared at April. "Actually—I know. Let's pretend this never happened" he said sarcastically before walking away.

April gaped at Jackson as he broodingly exited the room.

Cristina sniggered; "Don't take it personally, men are always grumpy when they're not getting laid. With the way Pretty Boy is acting, I bet he's experiencing his first ever dry spell."

April opened her mouth to respond but was cut off when Miranda peeked from the door; "Grey!" she barked.

Meredith tore her eyes away from her phone and turned towards the door; "Yes Dr. Bailey?"

"Scrub in with Kepner"

Meredith scrunched her face as she turned her gaze to April.

April threw Miranda an indignant look; "Dr. Bailey, all respect but I can handle a hernia repair on my own!" she protested.

Miranda just threw April the _look _before closing the door again.

"Well, you've been working with pigs, maybe she's worried you'll slaughter someone out of habit" Cristina said.

April glared at Cristina before stomping towards the locker room, clearly incensed.

"You're evil" Meredith said.

Cristina shrugged her shoulders; "Just saying."

* * *

oOo

* * *

Derek sat right beside Owen as they both stared at the hospital's lawyer standing right in front of them.

"You have the prerogative to sue Bayview Aeronautics for the injuries you've all sustained"

Derek sat straighter; "If I understand it correctly, you're telling us that we can decline the settlement they're offering and pursue a law suit?"

"Yes."

Derek turned towards Owen; "That changes the game" he said.

Owen nodded; he then focused his eyes on the lawyer. "If by chance they decided to sue, what will happen?"

"Bayview Aeronautics will be under investigation, I'm not gonna lie, it will probably take us months to see the result but it will be worth it."

Derek rubbed his chin while in thought; "We'll have to talk about it, Dr. Robbins is still indisposed so we need more time."

"Take all the time you need Dr. Shepherd, just contact me once you all come up with a decision."

"We will" Derek replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You're working on Roxie Meyers today, right?" Mark asked as he finishes his notes.

"Yeah" Jackson replied.

Mark threw the other man a side glance before closing his charts; "You doing the surgery with Kepner?" he asked.

"Don't remind me."

"Still haven't talked to her?"

Jackson snapped his chart close and turned towards his mentor; "She wanted to pretend that we didn't happen, what's there to talk about?"

Mark leaned sideways on the counter and crossed his arms on top of his chest; "She wanted to forget that you cashed her v-card? Wow, you must've suck" he teased.

Jackson narrowed his eyes at his mentor; "It's not funny, I'm pissed. I tried explaining my side last night but she just shut me out and told me that she's _revirginizing_ and all that crap."

Mark scrunched his face; "_Revirginizing_? What the hell does that mean?"

"She wants a clean slate without the all the mistakes, apparently, I'm a mistake" Jackson said bitterly.

Mark threw his prot a sympathetic look; "I feel for you man"

Jackson huffed in irritation; "And now I have to do this stupid surgery with her, just my luck"

"I can take over if that'll make you feel better?" Mark offered.

Jackson sighed; "No. I'll do it—I can do it" he replied.

"Are you sure you can keep your cools?"

"Yes."

"You can be professional?"

"Yes."

"You can-"

"I can do it, geez!" Jackson groaned. He then grabbed his chart from the counter and began walking towards the elevator; "I need to go scrub, see you later" he said dismissively.

"Find me once your done" Mark yelled.

"Will do."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Shoot, this defect's too big. I'm gonna need some mesh, suction." April said as she worked on the repair.

"Here's an idea-let's just pretend the patient never even had a hernia then you wouldn't have to do anything" Jackson said bitterly.

"Would you stop? This is not a joke to me" April pleaded.

Jackson glared at April; "No, you said you're pretending that-"

Meredith stared at the couple confusedly; "What are we talking about?"

April threw Jackson a side glance before turning towards her work again; "If you would just listen-I'm not pretending it never happened."

"What never happened?" Meredith asked.

"It happened, I know it happened" April said.

"Could someone just please-"

"-But now I am wiping the slate clean."

Jackson rolled his eyes; "By acting like it never happened"

"NO!" April snapped.

"What never happened?" Meredith asked with exasperation.

"Nothing!" Jackson and April said in unison.

Meredith studied April and Jackson's face back and forth. "I-"

Jackson cut her off by glaring at Meredith and handing his instrument to a nurse.

Meredith narrowed her eyes at the two when realization dawn on her; "Oh. My. God"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Meredith is washing her hands along side April silently when Jackson entered the scrub room. She watches in amusement as April hastily walked away when Jackson stepped into the sink, making Jackson grit his teeth in annoyance.

Meredith waited until April stepped out of the room before snatching a towel above the sink and hitting Jackson on the head, reprimanding his actions; "She was a virgin."

Jackson paused and turned towards his friend; "I know that."

Meredith hit Jackson's head with the towel again; "You defiled a virgin" she chastised louder.

Jackson resumed washing his hands.

Meredith hits him again.

Jackson turned towards Meredith; "Stop hitting my head I swear I'll go full crazy on you, alright? I am a grown ass man, she's a grown woman."

"Yeah but she's-"

Jackson braised his hands on the sink; "She's what, April Kepner? Believe me, she is grown" he said. He then resumed washing his hands as he explained what happened; "I didn't manipulate her, I didn't defile her or trick her, I didn't take her virginity, she-she gave it to me, alright? This isn't about something I did to her, this is something we did together and she can't handle that" he paused and grabbed a towel. "So she is praying to Justin Timberlake, apparently and I'm pissed and it's a mess so just stop hitting my head."

Meredith shook her head as an amused smile appeared on her lips; "So Alex is a diseased _manwhore_-again. And April Kepner is no longer a virgin, wow I missed a lot with that plane crash."

Jackson smiled back; "Yeah-you missed a whole lot." He then braised his hands on the sink; "The Chief banged my mom" he added.

Meredith's eyes widen as she stared at Jackson in shock; "What? The...Owen banged-"

"Webber, Webber. Dr. Webber banged my mom" Jackson hastily corrected himself.

"Oh." Meredith gasped. "Oh. Oh. Oh my god"

"Yeah, I know"

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, he banged my mom too" Meredith said before walking out of the room.

"That makes me feel worse" Jackson said.

* * *

"_**It's a strange, sad affair. Sometimes seems like we just don't care, don't waste time feeling hurt, we've been through hell together..."**_

* * *

April sauntered along the corridors fuming; she can't believe that Jackson acted the way he just did a couple of minutes ago. He was acting like a jilted lover and its getting to her nerves; she didn't leave because she wanted to, she left because she didn't have a choice. He on the other hand treated her like crap and now he had the audacity to throw a hissy fit because she refuses to talk about it, COME ON. April scoffed as she stood right in front of the elevator, she punched on the "down" button and crossed her arms on top of her chest; "Stupid boards-stupid San Francisco" she spat bitterly.

"Are you talking to yourself now?"

April turned around and saw Alex standing behind her; she scowled at the Ped's Fellow before facing the elevator again.

Alex raised his brow; "Are you mad at me?" he asked.

April scoffed; "Mad is an understatement."

Alex shifted closer to the irate surgeon and bumped his shoulder to hers; "What did I do?"

April glared at Alex; "Are you really asking me that question Karev?"

Alex thought for a moment before it hit him; "Did your patient survive?"

"Of course she survived! I can do a hernia repair perfectly!" April snapped indignantly.

"I'm not talking about you doing the surgery, I'm asking if she survived the tension between you and Pretty Boy" Alex clarified.

April huffed; "There's no tension on my part, he's the one who's acting like a jerk" she paused and narrowed her eyes at the elevator. "Come on already! I've been standing here for ages! Stupid elevator!"

Alex sensing the red head's hostile mood decided to leave her alone for the time being; he took a step back and gestured towards the fire exit. "I think I'll just use the stairs, see you later Apes" he said before jogging away.

April ignored her friend and continued fuming in silence.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Roxie Meyers has been moved to Recovery, you can check on her later" Jackson said as he entered Mark's makeshift office.

"Hey Jackson" Lexie said with a bright smile.

Jackson just nodded at Lexie and handed his notes to his mentor.

Mark perused the papers before closing the chart; "Perfect."

"Do you have a problem Jackson? You've been acting—_weird_ lately" Lexie asked as she studies the Plastic Fellow's face.

"I don't have any problem Lex, I'm fine" Jackson replied curtly.

Lexie cocked her head to side; "Well, you don't look like you're fine"

"How was the hernia repair? Did Kepner have a hard time fixing it?" Mark asked.

Jackson snorted; "Of course not. We talked about the incision points last night _right_? That's all we manage to talk about without biting each other's head off, stupid hernia—stupid general consult"

Lexie pulled her cane from the table and used it to point the vacant chair right in front of her; "Sit down Jackson, I think you need someone to talk to."

"I don't need someone to-"

"SIT. DOWN. NOW"

Mark leaned back on his chair and smirked at his student; "I suggest you follow her instructions Avery, she's holding a cane and I don't think she has any reservations on using it on you" he said.

Jackson opened his mouth to protest but Lexie thumped his waist with her cane; "SIT. DOWN" He let out defeated sigh before sitting down on the chair; "What do you want?"

"Start from the beginning that always works" Lexie said with satisfied look.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"What do you mean you can't come with me?" April asked.

"I have a scheduled surgery tomorrow morning Apes, I'm sure you can handle it on your own and besides, Jackson will be there with you—it's not as if you will be alone."

April let out a defeated sigh; "That's the problem, he'll be there-_again_" she mumbled to herself.

"What?" Meredith asked.

April shook her head before standing up from her perch; "Nothing. See you tomorrow, goodnight" she said before walking away dejectedly.

Meredith smirked; "Goodnight" she replied as she watches April walk towards the exit.

"Why are you smirking?" Cristina asked as she saddled next to her best friend.

"You know who did sleep together?" Meredith asked.

Cristina raised her brow; "Who?"

Meredith smiled widely; "April and Jackson"

Cristina's eyes almost bulged out of its sockets; "No way! Kepner did it?"

"She did it."

Cristina grinned; "Finally!"

"Except she's not doing it again"

"What do you mean?"

"Clean slate, she's _revirginizing_" Meredith replied.

Cristina scoffed; "Oh please! She's here, he's here—all she has to do is hear his voice and she's not gonna be able to think straight"

"Wanna place a bet?" Meredith asked.

Cristina smirked; "You're on."

* * *

oOo

* * *

April entered their apartment and shut the door behind her; "Alex?" she called out. When she didn't get any response, she locked the door behind her and made her way towards the kitchen; she placed her bag on top of the breakfast bar and pulled open the fridge. She leaned forward and began rummaging its contents; when she didn't find anything edible, she sighed and closed it. "What do you expect April, you're living with two sloppy men" she said to herself. She then grabbed her bag from the counter and walked towards her room; "It's unpacking for you."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Are you done yet?" Alex asked irritably.

Jackson grabbed his bag and walked towards his impatient friend; "I'm done, why are you such in a hurry?" he asked.

"I'm hungry" Alex replied as he padded briskly towards the door.

"Err—you are aware that we don't have groceries, right?" Jackson asked.

"That's the reason why I'm in a hurry. You and I are going food shopping"

Jackson wrinkled his nose; "But you don't know how to cook"

Alex threw Jackson a loop sided smile; "Kepner does" he said smugly.

"Do you think that's a good idea?"

"What?"

"Making her cook" Jackson replied.

Alex scrunched his face; "Why? She loves cooking"

Jackson cleared his throat; "She seems to be in a foul mood"

"About that, what did you do? She seems royally pissed at you" Alex asked.

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Did she say something to you?"

Alex stopped right in front of his car and unlocked it; "No, is there something to tell?" he asked.

Jackson opened the passenger door; "No"

* * *

oOo

* * *

April just finished fluffing her pillow when she heard the front door open; she threw the pillow back to her bed and walked towards her door. "Alex? Jackson? Is that you guys?"

"Yeah, come here Apes, we need help with something" Alex yelled.

April stepped out of her room and made her way towards the living room; "Err—where are you guys?" she asked.

"Kitchen"

April walked towards the kitchen and saw her roommates unloading food from a huge paper bag; she crossed her arms on top of her chest and stared at them amusedly. "Is it me or did you guys just bought groceries?"

Jackson closed the cupboard and turned towards April; "Yeah"

April shifted closer to the breakfast bar and peered inside the brown bag; her eyes widen upon seeing a large chunk of frozen steak and some fresh vegetables. "You actually bought real food-wow" she said, clearly impressed. After a moment, she furrowed her brows "But you guys don't know how to cook"

Jackson and Alex both froze like a deer caught in headlights.

April stared at them for a couple of seconds before chuckling.

Jackson scratched the back of his head as he threw April a sheepish look; "The truth is we haven't eaten real food for almost a month now" he admitted.

"What did you guys eat then?"

"Simple, pizza, Chinese takeout and beer" Alex replied with smile.

April scrunched her face; "You lived off of those?"

"Yeah" Jackson replied.

April shook her head; "You guys are hopeless" she said. She then moved towards the counter and began taking out the food; "I'll handle this, you both do whatever you guys do—shoo!"

Alex smiled triumphantly; "Thanks Apes, you're the best" he said before walking out of the kitchen.

Jackson shifted in his feet; "Do you need help?" he asked.

"No, I'm okay, I can handle this" April replied.

"I'm sorry" Jackson blurted out.

April paused and turned his attention towards Jackson.

Jackson stuffed his hands inside his pockets nervously; "I was out of line this afternoon-no, I was a complete asshole to you, I'm sorry" he said with sincerity.

April studied Jackson's face and saw the truth in his words; she let out a small smile before pointing towards the potatoes and green beans. "You can wash those"

Jackson let out a sigh of relief before smiling; he walked towards the counter and grabbed the vegetables. "I can do that" He then walked towards the sink and started prepping.

"For the record, you were a real asshole inside the O.R, Meredith probably knows—err—what happened between us"

Jackson grimaced and turned towards April; "I'm sorry—I don't know what came over me, I just-"

"You don't have to apologize again Jackson, I'm just stating a fact" April said before letting out an appeasing smile.

Jackson bowed his head in guilt; "I'm still sorry..."

April threw a piece of cherry tomato on Jackson's head.

Jackson's head snapped up and turned towards April; "Did you just throw a tomato on me?"

April laughed; "Stop acting like a little puppy that's been kicked, you've been donning that look whole afternoon –cut it out"

"Puppy?"

"Yeah puppy, it's very unbecoming...especially for an Avery" April teased.

Jackson laughed-really laughed.

* * *

"_**We awoke from our dream, things are not always what they seem. Memories linger on it's like a sweet, sad, old song..."**_

* * *

"Keep in mind that there's still a lot of swelling and bruising" Jackson reminded his patient as he took off the binder.

April watched Roxie's reaction; "It's okay Roxie..." she said softly.

Roxie stared at her reflection on the full length mirror before smiling tearfully; "It's more than...it's there's nothing to squeeze."

April shifted her eyes towards Jackson and let out a small smile.

Jackson caught April's gaze and returned the smile; he shifted his gaze back towards his patient and waited for further questions.

"Hey Rox, the cafeteria was out of lemonade so I got you-oh sorry" Frank said apologetically.

Roxie turned towards her fiancé to show her body; she let out a teary smile before placing his hands gently on her tummy. "Hi."

Frank raked his eyes on Roxie's form before staring at her face heatedly.

April felt the shift in the air between the lovers so she averts her gaze; she turned towards Jackson and caught him looking at her intensely while licking his lips.

April felt her body react with his actions, making her panic. She hastily took a step back and walked briskly towards the door; "I'm sorry—I gotta—go. Excuse me" she said in a huff.

Jackson swallowed hard and shifted his gaze to the potted plant. avert

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson stepped out of his patient's room and closed the door behind him; he leaned on it and closed his eyes tightly. "What the hell is wrong with you? You were just starting to be friends with her again and you just have to mess it up by licking your stupid lips suggestively! You're fucking stupid Jackson Avery, a moron!" he hissed at himself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April leaned back on the wall as she tries to even out her breathing; she placed her hands on her cheeks and felt how warm it was. "I can't believe you just ran out like that!" she said while patting it a couple of times. She slowly slid down to the floor and sat down; "Stop it April, you can't think about him that way—but those eyes—lips" she stopped and shook her head to rid her mind off of dirty thoughts. "You are revirginizing, stop thinking about fornicating! You should-you should avoid him for now—just until you can rein your hormones in-that's right-avoid him, easy"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Are we suing?" Mark asked.

Derek stared at his hand before shifting his eyes to Mark; "I may never get to operate again, so—yes, I want to sue" he said.

Mark nodded; "If Derek wants to sue then I'm with him" he said.

"We cannot settle and just accept their money, I mean—we almost didn't make it" Lexie said shakily.

Mark shifted closer to her fiancé and wrapped his arm around her shoulder comfortingly.

"If we don't settle then its gonna be tons of court hearings and investigations?" Arizona asked.

"Yes" Owen replied.

Arizona leaned back on her chair and began rubbing her temples; "I don't know guys"

"The decision needs to be unanimous, if you need more time to think about it—then please do" Owen said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

The day went by slower than what Jackson have preferred and he's still blaming his hormones for his insensitive blunder. He knows for a fact that they were equally treading on dangerous grounds and any sudden movement in the wrong direction can make or break the 5 years friendship that they manage to preserve.

"Hey man, you okay?" Alex asked as he saw Jackson staring blankly at the wall.

"Yeah" Jackson replied.

"You heading home?"

Jackson turned his head to the side; "Yeah."

Alex braised his hands on his hips; "Are you waiting for Kepner?"

"Err—no, why?"

"She already left a couple of minutes ago, just saying" Alex said.

"I see" Jackson replied.

Alex stared at Jackson for a couple of seconds before deciding that he won't be getting any direct answers from his friend; he shook his head and turned on his heel. "See you at home, man" he said.

"Yeah" Jackson replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April pulled out the chicken from the freezer and placed it on the sink; she placed it under running warm water and waited for the ice to melt. She was able to successfully avoid Jackson the whole day and she's not proud of it; after last night, she convinced herself that she can be his best friend again but one look from him and she's already running for the hills. She let out a frustrated sigh and leaned back on the sink; will it always be like this? Will every gesture from him send her spiralling down to the depths of lust? Can she move passed this unhealthy attraction for her best friend?

"April?"

April almost jumped from her perch when she saw the man she's thinking about standing right in front of the breakfast bar, watching her. "Oh—Hi Jackson"

Jackson pointed towards the sink; "You left the water running"

April's eyes widen before quickly turning towards the sink; she switched off the faucet and let out nervous laugh. "I was defrosting the chicken,"

"We have microwave you know" Jackson said.

"I prefer doing it this way" April replied.

"I see..." Jackson murmured. He then swallowed hard and stuffed his hands inside his pocket anxiously; "April about this morning-I'm sorry"

April felt her heart beating wildly and her cheeks flushing; she kept her back on him and cleared her throat. "You don't have to apologize Jackson because you didn't do anything wrong. I was the one who walked out-it was not professional, I'm sorry" she murmured.

Jackson walked towards the sink and stood beside April; he cleared his throat and focused his eyes on the sink. "You had all the right to walk away-what I did, it was inappropriate"

April stilled her hands and turned her head sideways, looking directly at Jackson's face; "I-I understand how you feel because-because I kinda feel it too."

Jackson turned his head towards April, meeting her eyes; "You-you feel it too?" he asked, clearly aghast.

April quickly averted her gaze as her cheeks flush even brighter; "The attraction-the pull. That's why I ran away, it's driving me nuts" she admitted shyly.

Jackson felt a smile tug on his lips but he tried his best to stifle it; "It's driving me nuts too—just seeing you standing there—all I can think about is kissing you"

April eyes widen as the chicken slipped through her hands; she slowly turned her head sideways and swallowed hard upon seeing Jackson staring at her intently.

Jackson shifted closer, not breaking eye contact; "April I-"

"I'M HOME!"

April was so startled when she heard Alex's voice, making her jerk forward, hitting Jackson square on the nose with her forehead.

"Ouch!" Jackson yelped as he stumbled back.

April's eyes widen in mortification; she quickly shifted closer to Jackson and raised her hands to cup his face. "Oh god, I'm sorry!"

Jackson groaned as he felt April's hand on his face.

Alex peered inside the kitchen and frowned when he saw his two roommates standing by the sink; "What the hell happened here?" he asked.

"Oh god! There's blood! I think I broke your nose!" April said in panic.

Jackson pulled his hand away from his nose and saw blood; "I think you did"

Alex hastily walked towards the pair and stood beside April; he pulled her shaking hands away as he began checking the other surgeon's nose.

"Oh god! I'm so sorry—I didn't mean to—"

"It's not your fault, it was an accident and-ouch!"

Alex pulled his hand away and turned his gaze to April, clearly amused; "You're pissed at him that bad that you had to break his nose?"

"It's-it's broken?" April asked tearfully.

"Fortunately it's not but if you hit him a little bit harder then you might've succeeded" Alex replied.

"April didn't hit me on purpose, you startled her with your yelling that's why she accidentally hit her forehead on my nose" Jackson said with a grimace. He then turned his towards her best friend; "I'm sure that it's something that ice can fix, don't worry"

"I'm so so sorry Jackson-I-I'm sorry"

Jackson tried to smile to re-assure April that he's fine but the pain in his nose prevented him from doing so; "I'll just wash up in the bathroom, can you get me ice?"

April didn't need to be told twice, she hurriedly walked towards the fridge and started getting ice.

"Thank you" Jackson muttered before making a bee line towards the bathroom.

Alex crossed his arms on top of his chest as he watches the red head with amusement; "What are you guys doing that requires your face to be close _that _close, huh?"

April froze.

Alex, noticing April's reaction let out a full blown smile; "Were you about to kiss?"

April slammed the fridge shut and cleared his throat; "O—of course not! Get your head out gutter Karev!" she shrilled, clearly flustered.

Alex's smile widen; "You are definitely about to kiss" he teased. He then spun on his heels and began whistling happily.

"We are not about to kiss!" April yelled.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night Kepner"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"What the hell happened to your face?"

Jackson placed his coffee on top of the nurses' station before leaning forward and grabbing his charts for the day; "I hurt my nose but it's not broken" he replied.

Mark shifted closer to his student and plucked the chart away from his hands.

"Hey! Give that back" Jackson protested.

Mark placed the chart on the counter and placed his hands on Jackson shoulders; "Keep still!" he chastised. He then placed his hands on his face and began checking his prot's busted nose; after a couple of seconds of scrutinizing it, he pulled his hand away. "It's definitely not broken but you can't talk with our patients looking like that"

"What do you mean I can't talk to them?" Jackson asked indignantly.

"You might give out a wrong impression, we're Plastic Posses, we have to always look good. A busted nose does not look good, therefore you're out of commission today, you can do my post ops"

"But-"

"No buts Avery, I'm saving our reputation here. Now, be a good boy and just stick to the Burn Center for now, I'll page you if I need you to scrub in" Mark said with finality.

Jackson scowled at his mentor before grabbing his coffee from the counter; "Whatever" he said before storming away.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was glumly staring at the E.R. doors when Meredith saw her; she made her way towards her friend and fell into step with her. "Slow day?"

"Yeah, I've been standing here for 30 minutes now and still no Trauma" she replied.

Meredith chuckled; "Aren't you supposed to be thankful that nobody got hurt?"

April pursed her lips; "I want to get my hands bloody today, I need surgery to take my mind off of things"

"Meaning, you need to take your mind off of Jackson"

April bowed her head as her shoulders slumps; "You know."

Meredith shifter closer and bumped her shoulder to Aprils; "Lighten up Apes, it's just sex not the end of the world. Besides, Jackson is your best friend and he cares for you, I can't think of any better person to cash your v-card than him, it also doesn't hurt that he's hot—you know" she said with a teasing smile.

April chuckled; she then turned her sideways and stared at Meredith; "I broke his nose last night" she blurted out.

Meredith's eyes widen in shock; "You what?"

April winced; "It was an accident I swear! We were having a moment but then Alex came barging in and I panicked—I ended up hitting him on the nose with my forehead."

Meredith stared at April for a couple of seconds before bursting into fits of laughter.

"It's not funny Mer! I hurt him!" April shrieked.

Meredith placed her hand on her stomach as she tries to contain her laughter; she bit her bottom lip and took deep calming breaths.

April pursed her lips.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Mark was not kidding when he said you look—_different_" Lexie said as she slowly walked towards Jackson.

Jackson scoffed; "He basically took me off some of his cases because of my nose so Mark is not my favourite person at the moment so please don't mention him"

Lexie chuckled; "Don't be such a baby, I'm sure Mark just doesn't want you to over work yourself especially with your _condition_."

Jackson turned his face towards Lexie and glared at her; "My nose is just a little swollen Lex, it can't be classified as a condition."

"Fine, geez! No need to be snippy with me" Lexie said as she settles herself on one of the chairs. She placed her cane beside her before looking at Jackson curiously; "What really happened to your nose?"

"None of your business" Jackson quipped.

"Come on! I can tell there's an awesome story behind it" Lexie cajoled.

Jackson tore his eyes away from his charts and sighed; "April accidentally head butted me but instead of hitting my forehead it landed on my nose."

Lexie wrinkled her face; "What in the world were you doing that caused her to head butt you?"

"She didn't head butt me on purpose, we're having a moment but then stupid Karev decided to show his eyes and April panicked."

Lexie started giggling at the hilarity of the situation; "Oh god, I can imagine her hitting your nose! She must've freaked out after!"

Jackson let out a small smile upon remembering his best friend's tearful expression; "She was mortified and she thought she broke my nose" he said.

Lexie stared at Jackson's expression before shaking her head in amusement; "You got it bad Avery, you got it bad" she said.

Jackson ignored Lexie's taunting and just focused his attention back to his work.

* * *

oOo

* * *

All the first year surgical Fellows and Attending's are eating their lunch together in the cafeteria; Alex noticed April's lack of interest in her food so he decided to just tease the Trauma Attending. "Hey April, how's your forehead?"

April lifted her eyes from her plate and glared at Alex; "Shut up Karev, I'm not in the mood" she snapped.

Cristina threw April a curious look before shifting her eyes to Alex; "What happened to her forehead?"

Alex sniggered; "She head butted Pretty Boy last night and almost broke his nose"

Cristina's eyes widen as she turns her gaze back to April; "You're that pissed?"

April pushed her plate away and rested her forehead on the table dejectedly; "I didn't hurt him on purpose, it was an accident!" she groaned.

"How can you head butt someone by accident?" Cristina asked indignantly.

Meredith cringed and patted April's back comfortingly; "Don't mind them Apes, they're just teasing you" she said.

April groaned again.

"Pretty Boy! Yoohooooo! Over here!" Alex yelled while waiving his hands to get Jackson's attention.

Jackson saw his friends sitting around a table near the door so he decided to join them; he pulled a chair right in front of April and sat down. He placed his tray on top of table before cocking his head to the side; "April? You okay?" he asked concernedly.

Alex snickered; "You're the one who's sporting a swollen nose and you're asking her if she's alright?"

Jackson scowled at Alex; "How many times do I have to tell you that it was an accident Karev?"

Alex raised both his hands in mock surrender; "Just saying man, just saying" he said with a smirk.

April lifted her head from the table and winced upon seeing Jackson's face; "I-I'm sorry"

Jackson let out a small comforting smile; "It's alright—it doesn't hurt" he replied.

"I still feel bad" April admitted.

"Well don't accidents happens all the time Apes and I'm quite sure you didn't mean it" Jackson said.

"Of course I don't mean it" April replied.

"Well there—all settled. So stop feeling bad and just eat your lunch" Meredith said with a bright smile.

April pulled her plate towards her again and threw Meredith a smile; "Yeah, you're right" she said.

Cristina opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when her pager and Meredith's pager both went off; she pulled it out of her pocket and read the message. "Did you just get paged to Admin?" she asked Meredith.

Meredith furrowed her brows before meeting Cristina's gaze; "Yeah, I did" she replied.

Cristina stood up from her perch and stuffed her pager inside her pocket; "We better get going, must be something about that stupid settlement" she said, clearly annoyed.

Meredith took a last sip of her juice before standing up; "Gotta go peeps, we'll see you later" she said.

Cristina waived at her friends before walking towards the door with Meredith in tow.

Alex also stood up from his perch; "If they have been paged to Admin, I'm sure Robbins also did. I gotta go head up to Ped's, catch you later" he said before jogging towards the door.

"But your food" April said while looking at Alex's half eaten salad.

"He was never a fan of salads in the first place" Jackson said. He then plucked his fork from his tray and began eating.

April chuckled; "Point taken, he's always been meat person" she said.

Jackson shoved a mouth full of greens in his mouth and winced when his facial movement caused his nose to throb.

April noticed Jackson's discomfort and felt guilt wash over her again; "Does it hurt when you eat?"

Jackson chewed and swallowed his food before responding; "It's a little sore but nothing that I can't handle"

April sighed; "I really feel bad" she said dejectedly.

"It was an accident Apes, no need to wallow in guilt" Jackson replied.

April nodded as she started pushing her food on her plate again.

Jackson placed his fork on his plate again and cleared his throat.

April lifted her eyes from her plate and threw Jackson an expectant look.

"I-I think we still need to have the talk April—you know, to clear the air between us"

April bit her bottom lip as she heart started beating wildly inside her chest; "I know" she murmured.

"Tonight okay?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah—I don't have anything to do"

Jackson let out a sigh of relief; "Where do you want to talk? We can head to Joe's or we can stay in the apartment, it's up to you"

"We can just talk in the apartment, I'm not in the mood to drink" April replied.

"Alright then, we can order in so you don't have to cook"

"Good idea."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Why is Owen not here?" Cristina asks as she sat down.

"I was told that this meeting is exclusively for us" Derek replied.

Meredith sat beside her husband; "I think they want an answer."

"If McDreamy wants to sue I'm with him" Cristina said.

Derek threw Cristina a smile; "Thank you"

Cristina waived her hand dismissively; "If there's a person here who lost so much it's you and we have your back"

Meredith smiled at her best friend; "Thanks"

Mark pushed the door open and peered inside the conference room; "Hey—you guys have been paged to?" he asked.

"Yes—you with my sister?" Meredith asked.

Mark pushed the wider to reveal Lexie; "I'm here" she said.

"Don't you just stand there, come inside" Cristina said.

Mark steered his fiancé inside the room and pulled chair for her; once Lexie is settled, he took a seat beside her.

Arizona was wheeled next to the room; Callie raised her brow upon seeing her other friends already settled. "This is a full room, you guys have an idea what's this about?" she asked.

Arizona tilted her head towards her wife; "I think it's about the crash" she said.

Mark pushed the chair beside him towards the back, giving room for Arizona's wheel chair.

Callie threw her best friend a thankful look before guiding Arizona's wheelchair next to the Plastic's Attending; she then leaned forward and planted a kiss on the other woman's head. "Text me once your done, I'll check on Sophia" she said.

Arizona nodded; "Yes, thank you" she replied.

Callie waived at her friends before exiting room.

"So—we're not settling right?" Arizona asked.

Mark turned to his side and stared at Arizona; "I thought you want to settle?" he asked curiously.

"I thought about it and I think that it's only right to go after the one who caused all this. By settling, we're practically giving Bayview Aeronautics a free pass and it might happen again to other people, they may not have the same luck as us-so, no, I'm not settling" Arizona explained.

"That's exactly my point" Derek said.

Arizona smiled at Derek; "I understand now where you're coming from now"

Derek nodded.

"Where's the legal counsel then?" Lexie asked.

"She should be here any second" Derek replied.

"The waiting game starts now" Meredith said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Hey man, I'm heading out. You coming home?" Jackson asked as he walks by Alex.

Alex sighed; "I can't, I have a kid that coded a couple of minutes ago. I need to monitor his vitals overnight" he said.

Jackson grimaced; "Sorry man" he said.

"It's okay. You heading home?"

"Yeah" Jackson replied.

"Is April staying here or is she coming home with you?" Alex asked curiously.

"She already went home"

Alex smirked; "Don't try anything funny with her again Avery, I won't be there to save you" he teased.

Jackson rolled his eyes before walking towards the elevator; "Whatever Karev, goodnight" he said with a waive.

Alex snickered.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April just hung up the phone when Jackson opened the door to their apartment; "I already called for Pizza, it should be here in 30 minutes tops" she said.

Jackson closed the door behind him and threw April a smile; "Let me guess, half Hawaiian and half Pepperoni?"

April chuckled; "Yeah and I bought beer, it's in the fridge"

"Awesome" Jackson replied. He then gestured towards the hallway; "I'll just change into something comfortable, be back in a minute" he said.

April nodded; "Yeah, go ahead" she said.

Jackson nodded and made his way towards his room.

April watched Jackson disappear from the corner before letting out a deep breath; she closed her eyes tightly as she leans her head on the back of the couch.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"—I ended up working on his post ops the whole day"

April threw Jackson a guilty look as she took a swig of her beer; "I know I've said it multiple times already but I'm still sorry..."

"I didn't tell you about my day to make you feel guilty, you know" Jackson said.

"I know, I know—I just feel bad" April said glumly.

"It's really okay April, don't worry about my nose much-I'm still handsome" Jackson said with a boyish grin.

April let out a small smile; "I'm happy to see that my forehead didn't even bruise your ego" she teased.

Jackson laughed.

April shook her head in amusement before taking another sip of her beer.

Jackson watched April intently before clearing his throat; "Err-I can't pretend that it didn't happen—I can't do that" he blurted out.

April instantly felt the air around them change when she met Jackson's eyes; she studied his face for a moment before deciding to tell him the truth. "I know, um, me either. I c-can't stop thinking about it-the more I think about, the more-the more I try not to think about it, I'm thinking about it" she mumbled.

"Yeah, I know" Jackson replied. He then shifted in his seat to face April fully; "Do you want to get married?" he asked seriously.

April wrinkled her nose; "Uh, what?"

"Because if you're serious about this whole _revirginizing_ thing, that means that the next guy that you sleep with is probably gonna be your husband, right? That's what you want?"

April gulped loudly and nodded.

Jackson cleared his throat before continuing; "And I am not ready to be anybody's husband. And I really don't think you're ready to be anybody's wife. So let's remember that it happened, make sure it doesn't happen again, unless we want it to-unless we are -ready" he explained.

April bit her bottom lip as her eyes strayed to Jackson's lips; she lifted her eyes to meet his again; "I'm, um, I can't be near you or I might..."

"Me too"

April felt the palpable sexual tension surrounding them so she averted her gaze; "Okay, so we, um-"

"We stay away from each other-for-for awhile"

April's eyes involuntarily moved towards his lips again as she nodded; "Okay...Um-so I'm just gonna-walk away now" she replied.

Jackson licked his lips as he watches April intently; "Um-bye" he said huskily.

April felt her cheeks flush as she continued staring at Jackson; "Err-bye" she said but she's still not moving, not even an inch.

Jackson's eyes strayed towards her lips and before he realizes it, he's leaning forward and cupping April's neck—pulling her towards him and mashing their lips into a heated kiss.

April automatically wrapped her arms around Jackson's neck; finally giving into her impulses—throwing her reservations and cautions to the wind.

Jackson hauled April into his lap before wrapping his arms tightly around the red head's waist.

April moaned loudly; she straddled Jackson's lap and continued nipping on his lips.

Jackson kissed her lips a couple of times before trailing his lips down to April's neck; "Are you sure you want to do this? We really don't have to do anything if you're not sure" he asked between kisses.

April closed her eyes as she cocked her head to the side, giving Jackson easier access to her neck. "I want to..." she moaned.

"Are you sure?"

April's eyes snapped open and sat herself straighter; she cupped Jackson's face into her palms and stared intensely into his eyes. "I'm sure _Jackman_, take me to bed" she said breathlessly.

Jackson grinned widely before slipping his arms under April's legs; he hastily stood up from their perch on the couch.

April squealed as she wraps her arms tightly around Jackson's neck; "You don't have to carry me you know, I can walk" she said between giggles.

"I know but I'm comfortable this way" Jackson said as he navigates them towards his room.

April leaned forward and began nibbling on Jackson's ear.

"Keep doing that and we won't make to my room" Jackson whispered raggedly.

April giggled; "I think hallway sex is-hot" she whispered.

Jackson groaned; "You're killing me."

April laughed before burying her face into his neck.

Jackson stepped inside his room and grinned widely; "Finally!" he said.

April grabbed the door when they passed it and slammed it close behind them.

* * *

_**A/N: And I just can't resist posting this! Again, tell me what you think! :) More reviews and I'll post the next chappy ASAP! Enjoy! Cheers! :)**_


	4. One more night

**Chapter Four: One more night**

* * *

"_**You and I go hard at each other like we're going to war. You and I go rough, we keep throwing things and slamming the door. You and I get so damn dysfunctional, we stopped keeping score. You and I get sick, yeah, I know that we can't do this no more..."**_

* * *

Jackson collapsed beside April and panted heavily; "That was-great. It's still great"

"Yeah-that was-" April said breathlessly.

Jackson turned to his side and propped himself by the elbow; he studied April's face carefully and cleared his throat. "You okay?" he asked with worry.

April took deep calming breaths before turning her head towards Jackson; "Yeah—I'm good" she replied. She then shifted her head back to its original perch before groaning loudly; "We did it again"

"Err—yeah, we did"

April sat up from the cot and began rubbing her face furiously.

Jackson sat up too and tugged her hands away from her face; "Stop that."

April let her hands fall limp to her lap; she then turned her face towards Jackson and pursed her lips. "I thought last time was the last time?"

Jackson thought for a moment before responding; "No, this is the last last time" he said.

April rolled her eyes; she scooted towards the edge of the bed and planted her feet on the ground. She bends forward and began fishing out her undergarments that's scattered around the floor.

Jackson followed April's lead and began dressing himself as well.

April tugged her panties and pants up before standing up; she turned her back to Jackson as she puts her brassier back on. She pulled her scrubs top from the top bunk and turned towards him; "How did it get up there?" she asked incredulously.

Jackson finished tying his shoes and stood up from his perch; "We seem to throw a lot of things when we're both in the mood" he said.

"Oh, really?" April asked as her cheeks started to flush.

Jackson paused and grinned; "Yeah" he replied.

April cleared her throat and began shrugging her scrub top on; "That was the last time, we can't do this anymore" she whispered.

Jackson shifted closer to April and stood right in front of her; "No—no we won't, because this is the last time—ever."

April met Jackson's gaze and felt her heart thumping wildly inside her chest; her eyes strayed towards his lips and almost instantly she felt the familiar stirring inside her belly.

Jackson felt the pull as well so he shifted even closer to April; he licked his lips suggestively and began leaning forward. He was almost there when his pager went off, jarring him out of his lustful thoughts. "I'm gonna get this page and get some coffee" he blurted out.

"I'm gonna go pray" April replied.

Jackson nodded in agreement; "Cool" he said before scurrying towards the door, April following not far behind.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April stared at the screen right in front of her; "I still don't understand what it is I'm looking at" she said while trying her best to figure out what's being displayed.

Catherine Avery turned towards her son's best friend; "Those are testicles Dr. Kepner" she explained.

April's mouth hangs open as her eyes widen in shock.

Catherine chuckled upon seeing April's frightened reaction; "Don't worry sweetheart, they're not supposed to look like that" she said before shifting her eyes back to the screen.

April let out an embarrassed laugh; "I know what testicles are-" she paused and sat straighter. "Jackson didn't mention you were coming..."

"He didn't know. He made it very clear, he would like me to stay out of his personal business so I am doing my best."

"Well I think that's great" April said. She shifted her eyes back to the screen and let out a relieved sigh.

Catherine turned her gaze back to the red head; "I've made no such promises to you."

April stiffened and turned her eyes back to Catherine.

"You need to start prepping for next year's boards" Catherine explained.

April nodded.

Catherine smiled and shifted her eyes back to the scans; "There's a fellow in our Gynecology Department that's an excellent tutor and _he's cute_" she finished with a suggestive smile.

April forced out a smile; "That's-that's not really even nece-"

"I said it before, and I will say it again. You're just too uptight, baby. You need to get L-A-I-D"

April's eyes widen in mortification so she quickly averted her gaze; "Dr. Avery!"

"Look at me."

April swallowed hard and kept her eyes fixed on the screen.

Catherine turned to her side to face April fully; "Look at me" she commanded.

April grudgingly followed the other woman's instruction.

"I am having the best sex I have had in years and it just opened me up like a flower blossoming towards the sun" Catherine said wistfully.

April swallowed again and tried to force herself not to wince; "That's a powerful image"

Catherine turned towards the screen again; "I bet that fellow knows his way around a woman—"

April let out a chuckle with the irony of Catherine's statement.

"Oh relax! I'm kidding!"

April snorted.

Catherine pointed her pencil at April; "See that? That's what I mean—uptight. But I will give you his number just in case"

April let out a tight lipped smile before turning her gaze back on the scans.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was tending to his patient when he saw Richard Webber passing by outside the procedure room; he hastily made his way towards the door and yanked it open. "Dr. Webber"

Richard paused and turned towards the young surgeon nervously; "Um—yes, sir?"

Jackson took off his latex gloves while fixing his gaze on the old surgeon; "Why is my name on tomorrows O.R. schedule for a scrotal lymphedema surgery with you?" he asked confusedly.

Richard shifted his feet and smiled; "Uh—got the wrong Avery" he explained. "I'm doing the surgery with your-your mother"

"My mother's here-performing a surgery, with you?"

"B-but we were hoping that you'd be available to do a skin flap. Actually, she sent me to find you for a consult"

Jackson placed his hands on his hips; "O—okay, sure. Yeah, I'll just be a minute."

"Great" Richard said before walking away hastily.

Jackson glared at Richard's disappearing back before stepping in the procedure room again.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April entered the Attendings' Lounge and walked towards the couch; she plopped down unceremoniously and leaned her head on the back of the couch. She did it again, she slept with Jackson for the nth time and now God is punishing her by sending his mother to make sure she suffers her endless sex talks. She closed her eyes tightly and let out a defeated sigh; yesterday, she promised herself that it will be the last time she'd give into her carnal desire but just one look and she's doing the _hippity dippity_ with him before she knows it. They haven't gotten the chance to have the _talk _yet and it's driving her bonkers; the last time she attempted to have a decent conversation with him, she ended up pushing him back on the couch and having her wicked way with him. What's wrong with her? She's acting like a sex deprived maniac—it's very uncharacteristic and very wrong for her. She needs to have that talk with Jackson to clear everything that needs to be cleared; they can't keep doing this anymore.

"I heard you got pulled into a case with Jackson's mom?"

April's eyes snapped open; she lifted her head from the couch and turned towards the door; "Hey Lex-yeah"

Lexie pushed the door wider and just stood awkwardly by the doorframe.

April sat straighter and cocked her head to the side; "What are you doing just standing there? Come in, you shouldn't be up your feet that long" she said.

Lexie smiled sheepishly; "I shouldn't be here, this is the Attendings' Lounge, I'm just looking for Mark" she replied.

April waived her hand dismissively; "Nonsense, come inside and sit beside me" she said with a smile.

"Are you sure?"

April rolled her eyes before patting the space beside her; "Just come here Lex"

Lexie stepped into the room and began limping towards her friend; when she reached the couch, she plopped down abruptly, making her wince.

April immediately began fawning over the other woman; "Are you okay? What hurts?" she asked with concern.

"I'm fine Apes, just sat down a little bit too hard" Lexie replied while swatting April's prying hands.

April pulled her hands away and threw her friend a chastising look; "You should've sat down more gently, your leg is not yet healed"

Lexie rolled her eyes; "You sound like Mark"

April chuckled; "I'm quite sure Mark is much worse"

"Don't remind me" Lexie groaned. She then sat straighter and angled herself to face the red head; "So—back to the topic, is it uncomfortable?" she asked curiously.

"What's uncomfortable?"

Lexie smirked widely; "Talking to the mother of the man you're sleeping with"

April's eyes widen as her cheeks began flushing; "Oh god!" she gasped, clearly flustered.

Lexie chuckled upon seeing April's mortified face; "Come on, don't be shy"

"How-how did you know—Did Jackson—"

"He did not kiss and tell Apes. Mark just forced him to tell him what's wrong when he's been acting all mopey when you left for Moline"

That caught April's attention, "He was...mopey?" she asked cautiously.

"He was a nightmare to work with for weeks—I hear interns often complaining to Mark about Jackson's attitude" Lexie explained.

"Oh" April gasped. She then felt a smile tugging on her lips so she bit her lower lip hard.

Lexie noticed April's attempt to stifle her smile so she just shook her head; she then paused and stared at the red head directly "You know—I haven't gotten the chance to meet Jackson's mother because the last time she visited, Jackson shipped me to another state" she said thoughtfully.

April cringed upon remembering the Plastic Fellow's callousness; "I remember that" she replied. "I can introduce you if that'll make you feel better? I mean, don't get me wrong Catherine Avery is an amazing surgeon but it's better meeting her as her sons friend rather than her sons girlfriend, she can go a little bit _overboard _sometimes...I kinda understand why Jackson had reservations on introducing you to her"

Lexie threw April a knowing look; "He introduced you to her" she pointed out.

April chuckled; "We were interns in Mercy West when I first met her and Jackson had no choice but to introduce us because Charles and Reed kept bugging him about it"

"I see-but you somehow manage to keep in touch with her throughout the years"

"I added her in _Facebook _after I met her because I was her fan" April quipped.

"You are a stalker?" Lexie teased.

"Of course not!" April said indignantly. She was about to explain her case further but her pager went off; she hastily plucked it from her pocket and groaned upon reading the message.

Lexie smirked; "Is it your Momma paging?"

April shot up from her perch and threw Lexie a sarcastic smile; "Funny Lex" she said.

"I try"

April pursed her lips; "I wonder what she wants again" she sighed. She then began moving towards the door; "Catch you later Lex!" she said before stepping out of the room.

Lexie shook her head; "She definitely has Momma Avery's seal of approval" she said amusedly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was walking towards his patient's room when Mark sidled beside him; "I heard Momma Avery is here?"

"Don't remind me" Jackson groaned.

Mark smiled widely; "And she asked you to do a skin flap for her patient with _huge _balls"

Jackson abruptly halted his steps and turned towards his mentor; "You can have it"

Mark raised his brow; "Have what?"

Jackson smiled hopefully; "The skin flap—it's yours, no strings attached"

Mark took a step back as he shakes his head; "I don't plan on stepping foot inside your Mom's O.R. again"

"Come on man, please?"

Mark spun on his heels and began walking away; "No can do Avery" he said.

"Please? I'll do all your post ops?" Jackson offered.

Mark chuckled; "My interns can do that" he said. He then lifted his hands and did a fist pump; "Make me proud boy!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson's shoulders slump in defeat as he continued his trek.

Jackson pushed April back on the cot as he kisses her hungrily; he pulled his face a fraction but kept his forehead on hers; "This is the last time"

April placed her hand on top of Jackson's naked chest and began rubbing it; "The last time was the last" she said breathlessly.

Jackson leaned forward again and began nibbling on her lower lip; "Yeah-but this is the last last last time" he said between kisses.

April wrapped his arms around Jackson's neck, pulling him closer; "I have to be in the O.R all day tomorrow with your mom" she paused and continued nipping on Jackson's lips.

Jackson lifted himself and stared at April; "You're in that surgery too?"

April's eyes widen as she braises her hands on his chest, keeping a space between them; "What do you mean too? Wait-you're gonna be there?"

Jackson smiled boyishly as he props himself up with his hands; "Yeah"

"No, no, no, we cannot both be in that O.R. she's gonna figure it out"

Jackson rolled his eyes as he hovers above April.

April felt the need to explain so explain she did; "She is obsessed with my sex life, she's having amazing sex, so I have to, too"

Jackson scrunched his face in disgust; "Stop!" he growled.

April cringed and hastily cupped Jackson's face with her palms soothingly; "Sorry-sorry, you don't want to hear that"

Jackson narrowed his eyes as he stares ahead unseeingly; "Webber's still banging my mom"

April eyes widen in shock; "That's who she called the best sex of her life?" she asked indignantly.

Jackson groaned before shifting away and collapsing beside April; "And we're done here" he said with a sigh.

April bit her bottom lip as she lay beside Jackson.

Jackson turned his head sideways; "You going home tonight?" he asked.

April turned her head and faced Jackson; "I want to but I don't feel like driving" she admitted.

Jackson snuggled closer to the red head and placed his arms around her waist.

April stiffened; "Err—what are you doing?" she asked awkwardly.

"Sleeping" Jackson replied.

"Okay" April muttered.

Jackson ignored April's reaction and just closed his eyes.

April swallowed hard as she wills herself to relax; "_Cuddling? And this "relationship" is getting more dysfunctional every minute"_ she thought.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I can't see anything" Stephanie Edwards said as she observes the patient from the window.

"You describe them as _so big, a sheet couldn't cover them_" Jo Wilson said while turning her gaze towards her co-intern.

Leah Murphy cocked her head to the side; "I may have exaggerated a bit" she admitted.

Meredith sauntered right in front of the interns and fixed them with a stern look; "Okay ladies, this isn't a side show" she said.

The three interns walked away without needing to be told twice.

Meredith smiled smugly before turning towards her friends; "Gentlemen, step right up" she said before moving away from the window.

Alex and Jackson walked towards Meredith and stood beside her, all three of them facing the window.

"That's it?" Alex asked as he peered from the window.

"Okay!" Jackson gasped when he saw the patient's condition.

Alex winced; "That's not okay"

April gathered the patient's chart and stepped out of the room; she saw her friends standing outside, her eyes narrowing upon seeing Alex's expression. "Oh great. Karev's here-here to make us all laugh with funny jokes about my hands on a man's part" she said sarcastically as she walks towards the nurses' station.

"This isn't funny, that poor guy" Alex said, his eyes still fixed on the patient.

April threw Alex a look before abandoning her chart on the counter; she walked towards the window and stood right in front of it. "I know...can you imagine becoming so swollen that a surgeon needs to use a scalpel to dig out all that excess tissue until the testicles and cords hit the open air?" She then crossed her arms on top of her chest and turned towards Alex; "I mean, who even knows what happened to this penis in all that mess?"

Alex shuddered; "That's not okay" he said before walking away.

Meredith chuckled at April's antics; "Nice" she complimented.

April smiled at Meredith before walking towards Jackson; "Your mother won't stop asking me why I look so tired" she whispered.

Jackson cleared his throat and averted his gaze to hide his smugness.

"Why do you look so tired?" Meredith asked.

April bit her bottom lip to stifle her smile; she threw Jackson a knowing look before walking away.

Meredith watched April with amusement.

Jackson crossed his arms on top of his chest and furrowed his brows, trying his best to look serious.

Meredith threw Jackson a perceptive look before looking at the window again; "They look so cute together" she said while watching Richard and Catherine laugh.

"Shut up!"

"Think they look tired?"

Jackson gritted his teeth as he watches his mother flirt with Richard; "Go to hell" he said before walking towards the same path as April.

* * *

"_**But baby there you go again, making me love you. Yeah, I stopped using my head, let it all go. Got you stuck on my body, like a tattoo and now I'm feeling stupid, crawling back to you. So I cross my heart and I hope to die that I'll only stay with you one more night. And I know I said it a million times but I'll only stay with you one more night..."**_

* * *

Jackson is walking along the hallways looking for April; he was certain that the red head turned this way but seeing an empty corridor, he's doubting if he saw right.

"Jackson baby! There you are!"

Jackson clenched his jaw before turning around; "Mom" he greeted curtly.

Catherine made a bee line towards her son and pulled him into a tight hug; "How are you baby? I missed you"

Jackson rolled his eyes as he returns the hug; "I'm fine mom, I missed you too" he replied.

Catherine pulled away and studied her son's face; she pinched his cheeks before letting out a cheeky grin. "Who is she?"

Jackson took a step back; "What do you mean who is she?" he asked.

"Don't play coy with me young man, you're sporting an after sex glow. Now be a good boy and give your mom a name"

Jackson narrowed his eyes at his meddling mother; "I thought I told you to stay away from my personal business?"

Catherine pouted; "You're no fun"

"Aren't you supposed to be taking our patient to pre-op?" Jackson asked, diverting the topic.

"That's what interns are for baby" Catherine replied.

Jackson placed his hands around his waist; "Well if that's the case then I'll just see you in there in thirty minutes" he said.

"Okay baby—I'll just find April then" Catherine said before turning on his heels.

"What do you need April for?" Jackson asked.

Catherine waived her hand dismissively as she began walking away; "I'm just helping the girl _unwind _—she's acting a little _uptight _again"

Jackson crossed his arms on top of his chest as he scowls at his mother; "Are you pimping her again?" he asked sharply.

Catherine paused and turned her face towards Jackson; she noticed her son's pissed reaction so she raised her brow. "What's with the tone?" she asked.

"April doesn't need_ unwinding, _leave her be. She has her boards to focus on-so just stop meddling"

"That's what I'm helping her with, her boards. I know this Gyne Fellow who's a good tutor, I'm quite sure she can help her review" Catherine said suggestively.

Jackson scrunched his face with distaste; "A Gyne Fellow? April is a _surgeon_, you are aware of that right?"

Catherine smirked, clearly amused with Jackson's reaction; "Yes I'm quite aware. Eric is a smart man and he sure knows his _way_ around a woman" she said with a wink.

Jackson's eyes widen in Indignation; "You—you—I can't believe you!" he sputtered.

Catherine cackled gleefully before turning on her heels again and walking away; "Why do you care, I'm staying out of your personal business so stay away from April's" she said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Kepner!"

April tore her eyes away from her charts; "Yes, Dr. Webber?"

"Dr. Avery asked me to let you know that our patient is already being prepped, you need to be there with us in twenty minutes, okay?"

"Okay" April replied.

Richard nodded and made his way towards the elevator.

April groaned as she rests her forehead on the counter.

"Why are you sleeping there?"

April lifted her head and turned towards the voice; "I'm screwed, kill me"

Cristina chuckled; "I'm on my way to surgery so I don't have much time but I can sic Alex on you if you want"

April groaned again.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"We need to identify the testicles and the cords, don't want to damage them" Catherine said.

"Yes ma'am" April replied.

Catherine lifted her eyes from the patient and turned it towards April; "Have you thought about my offer?" she asked.

April cleared her throat; "Y—yeah. It was very nice of you to offer but-"

"I insist sweetheart. I'll send you Eric's number and I'll send your number to him as well so you guys can set up a date where-"

"I think I just located the left testicle" Jackson said, cutting her mother's rambling off.

Catherine shifted her eyes on her son's hand; "Yes you have. I will continue to excise the surrounding tissue, if someone can just get a hand underneath..."

Jackson moved his hand the same time as Richard. The older surgeon pulled his hand away; "Sorry" he whispered.

Jackson gestured towards the open cavity; "No, no, please go ahead" he said politely.

"No insist" Richard replied.

Jackson threw April a look before placing his hand underneath; "Of all the organs in the body, of course it had to be this one" he muttered.

"Jackson!" April said sternly.

"It's alright sweetie, my son is just peeved at me because he's a little bit threatened" Catherine said while eyeing Jackson meaningfully.

Jackson narrowed his eyes at his mother; "I'm not threatened, you just don't have any boundaries!"

"I'm not stepping on your boundaries so all is fair" Catherine retorted.

Richard cleared his throat; "I found the right testicle" he said. He then shifted his eyes to April; "Can you get your hand underneath Kepner?"

April quickly followed Richard's instruction.

Catherine shifted her eyes to April; "Back to what I'm saying, make sure to keep in touch with him, okay? He can help you with _everything_"

"Mom!" Jackson snapped.

Catherine furrowed her brows and turned her gaze to her son; "What?"

Jackson narrowed his eyes at his mother menacingly.

"Jackson, cut it out!" April hissed as she glares at Jackson.

Jackson met April's gaze for a couple of seconds before bowing his head and concentrating on the surgery.

Catherine stared at the red head in wonder; this is the very first time that she saw her son back down easily and it just took one look from his best friend, impressive. She then shifted her eyes back to her son and caught him stealing glances at April; there's definitely something going between this two and she can't wait to find out.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"What was that about?"

Jackson snatched a towel above the sink and began drying his hands; "What?" he asked.

April narrowed her eyes as she crosses her arms on top of her chest; "You know what I'm talking about so don't play dumb with me."

Jackson threw the towel on the hamper before facing April; "My mom is pimping you-_again_"

April raised her brow; "So?"

Jackson furrowed his brows; "What do you mean, _so_?"

April felt tension radiating from her best friend so she decided to explain; "She can send as many guys as she wants but that doesn't mean I'll take on their offer"

Jackson placed his hands on his hips as he took deep calming breaths; "I'm sorry if I acted like jerk towards my mom—she's just so infuriating"

April let out a small smile; "You wouldn't want her any different. Now that we have that settled, why don't you be a good son and go apologize to your mom for screaming at her" she said.

Jackson groaned; "Do I have to?"

"Of course"

Jackson stared at April for a moment before walking towards her predatorily; he stood right in front of her and placed his hands on the sink behind her, caging her in.

April's eyes widen in panic as she began looking around them frantically; "Jackson what on earth are you doing? People might see us—"

Jackson mashed his lips to April's, cutting her off.

April moaned into the kiss but still tried pushing him off.

Jackson pressed his body closer and shifted his hands towards April's tiny waist.

April let out another moan before giving in; she snaked her hands around Jackson's neck and began returning his kisses intensely.

Jackson groaned; he then pulls his lips away before staring at April will lust filled eyes. "I want you" he murmured.

"We have to stop doing this" April whispered breathlessly.

Jackson licked his lips; "I know but I want too-badly" he said huskily.

April gazed into Jackson's eyes and felt her resolve vanish like a puff of smoke; she licked her lips and swallowed hard. "Apologize to your mom first then we'll do whatever we want"

Jackson leaned forward to capture April's lips again; after a couple of seconds he pulled away; "I'll talk to her now" he said with a boyish smirk.

April planted a kiss on Jackson's cheek before smiling; "Good" she said.

Jackson pulled away from April and walked towards the door; he pushed it open and stepped out obediently.

April leaned back on the sink and braised her hands to the side; she let out a deep calming breath and closed her eyes. "Just one more night, this is the last last last time."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Mom" Jackson called out.

Catherine turned around and saw her son standing by the door, she turned towards her patient again and smiled; "I'll leave you to it and remember what we told you, you have nothing to be ashamed of" she said.

"Thank you Dr. Avery" The patient replied.

Catherine gestured towards the door; "Momma duties, I'll check on you later, rest" she said before walking towards the door.

Jackson took a step back and waited for Catherine.

Catherine exited the room and closed the door behind her; "Yes baby?" she asked.

Jackson shifted his feet and bowed his head; "Err—sorry—I'm sorry" he muttered.

Catherine crossed her arms on top of her chest; "This is new" she said amusedly.

Jackson's head snapped up; "What's new?" he asked.

"You apologizing for screaming"

"It was unprofessional of me—I'm really sorry" Jackson said meeting his mother's gaze.

Catherine raised her brow; "Did April put you up to this?" she asked.

"O—of course not! I realized my mistake that's why I'm apologizing"

"Really?"

Jackson took a step closer and pulled his mother into a hug; "No matter how nosy you are I wouldn't have you any other way, I love you just the way you are and I'm sorry for being such a spoiled brat" he murmured.

Catherine hugged her baby boy back; "She's good for you, don't screw it up" she whispered.

Jackson froze as his eyes widen in shock.

Catherine chuckled as she pulls away; she then lifted her hand and patted her son's cheek affectionately before walking away.

Jackson's mouth turned agape as he watches his mother's back disappear around the corner.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You heading home tonight?"

April tore her eyes away from her notes and turned her head sideways; "As much as I want to sleep on my bed I can't, I have tons of paper works" she groaned while gesturing towards the large stack of charts.

Alex threw his friend and sympathetic look; "Well—I'll just see you tomorrow then, I'll head home now" he said.

April let out a small smile; "Goodnight Karev, drive safely" she said.

Alex nodded before walking away; "Don't stay up too late" he reminded before boarding the elevator.

April turned her attention back to her charts and began writing notes again; she was half way through it when she felt a familiar presence standing a couple of feet away from her. She turned her head sideways and saw Jackson staring intensely at her; she felt her cheeks flush so she hastily averted her gaze.

Jackson was about to move closer to the red head but stopped when he saw his mother and Richard rounding up the corner.

Catherine instantly saw April and her son charting quietly next to each other; she made her way to the red head first and tapped her at the shoulder.

April turned around and saw Catherine standing behind her; "Dr. Avery" she greeted.

"I'm heading out dear, it was nice working with you" Catherine said.

April smiled; "It was nice working with you too, have a good night" she said politely.

Catherine smiled fondly at the young surgeon before pulling her into a hug; "You take care of my baby boy and start calling me Catherine or Momma if you like" she whispered.

April's eyes widen in shock.

Catherine pulled away and planted a kiss on April's cheeks; "Good night sweetheart" she said with a wink. She then moved towards Jackson and planted a kiss on his cheek wordlessly before walking away.

"Mom" Jackson acknowledged. He then turned towards Richard and threw him a dirty look, gritting his teeth in the process.

April shook her head to clear her mind about what Catherine said; she then threw Jackson a side glance and noticed the tension radiating from her best friend; "You okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine" Jackson replied curtly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah"

April snapped her charts closed and took a deep breath; "Want to have sex?" she asked quietly.

Jackson snapped his charts closed; "Yeah" he replied.

April hastily turned around and began walking away, Jackson hot on her heels.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"That's _more _than a seal of approval Lex" Mark said. He then crossed his arms on top of his chest as he rubs his chin while in thought; "It makes sense now," he said.

"What makes sense?" Lexie asked confusedly.

"Why Dr. Avery always requests for Kepner's service every time she performs a surgery here. Remember the penile transplant case?" Mark asked.

"Yeah, I heard of it. Jackson shipped me out of state remember?" Lexie said with a chuckle. "What about it?"

"Kepner kinda screwed up—she suctioned the dorsal vein that Dr. Avery will be using on the man's penis."

Oh my, did she throw April out of the O.R? I didn't know that!"

Mark smirked; "That's the thing, she just chastised April and let her stay. If it was me, I would've thrown the resident out while screaming my lungs off. Hell, if I remember it correctly she even took April out for drinks later that day" he said amusedly.

"Wow—she must've liked April—_A LOT_"

"A lot is understatement" Mark replied.

Lexie nodded, she then gestured towards the hallway that both Jackson and April disappeared to. "Where do you think those two are going? They're quite in a hurry" she asked.

Mark grinned widely; "Probably screwing each other" he said.

Lexie turned towards her fiancé and threw him an unimpressed look; "Why do you have to be so crass?"

Mark shrugged his shoulders; "You asked, I just answered" he replied.

Lexie rolled her eyes; "Come on, we're gonna be late to that stupid meeting"

"I almost forgot, yeah, we should head there"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"At this point it's about assessing these emotional damages, so we'll need to hear everything"

"Nice to have you here Dr. Yang, take a sit" The lawyer said while gesturing towards the vacant chair.

"Dr. Hunt, I guess you won't be necessary here anymore" The other legal counsel said to Owen.

"I'm here more out of support for my staff" Owen replied.

"Yeah I don't mind if he stays" Derek said.

"Today, uh, we-we'd like to get some statements about continued physical but-but also mental or emotional difficulties you might have suffered since the crash-" The lawyer said.

"What if we don't have any?" Cristina asked, cutting the lawyer off.

"Well, why don't we talk? We'll see what comes up. Almost anything can be helpful to monetize your injuries-" The lawyer retorted.

"How do we do that?" Meredith asked, clearly sceptical.

"We use a formula, it's your medical bills plus pain and suffering equals to three times your medical bills plus that flat rate hard tissue injuries plus loss of income, plus lost earning capacity plus any foreseeable harms for each of you so we're talking about a sizeable award." The legal counsel explained.

"Far more substantial than the settlement they offered you" The lawyer continued.

"Where's all the money coming from?" Derek asked with furrowed brows.

"Well, we're looking at the possibilities now, the charter company, aircraft manufacturer, parts manufacturers, the pilot, of course, the ground crew at Sea-Tac-" The lawyer explained.

"Jerry? Did you say Jerry?" Meredith asked.

"Who's Jerry?" The legal counsel asked.

"The pilot" Derek replied.

"He was up there with us" Meredith said.

"He broke his back. He's paralyzed now" Cristina said indignantly.

"You're gonna go after him?" Meredith asked.

"Well, if we find he was negligent, shouldn't we?" Arizona asked.

"You know I'm sorry I can't help. I've got no residual injuries and I've gotta go run someone's service for them-so you know goodluck" Cristina said before pushing away from the table and leaving the room without any back glance.

Derek turned towards Owen and threw him a confused look.

"Folks listen, you have a special bond. You've been through something horrible and survived it together but as far as the pilot is concerned you need to stop thinking of him as one of you and start thinking of him as one of them"

The door opened again, admitting Mark; "We're sorry we're late" he said.

Lexie peered behind Mark's back; "Are we still needed? We just saw Yang leaving" she said.

"Dr. Sloan and Dr. Grey, please take a seat" The legal counsel said.

Mark pushed the door wider and steered his fiancé inside the room.

* * *

"_**Try to tell you "no" but my body keeps on telling you "yes". Try to tell you "stop", but your lipstick got me so out of breath. I'll be waking up in the morning, probably hating myself. And I'll be waking up, feeling satisfied but guilty as hell..."**_

* * *

April pulled herself off of Jackson and collapsed beside him, panting heavily.

Jackson smiled as he struggled to catch his breath; "Wow-that was-"

"So-stupid" April groaned.

Jackson scrunched his face; "Not where I was going" he said before sitting up on the cot.

April pulled the blanket to cover her chest as she tilted her head and stared at the ceiling; "What's wrong with me? How many times can I say this is not happening and the next thing I know, it's happened?" she asked, clearly frustrated with herself. "I am-I'm so weak"

Jackson pulled his shirt on and began tying his shoes; he turned towards April and shook his head. "You're not weak. You're just-"

"Disgusting!" April shrieked.

Jackson rolled his eyes and continued lacing his shoes.

April sat up; "I was good person once, a person with will power, I have fasted before, this is worse"

Jackson stood up from the bed and watched April rant.

"This just feels helpless and inevitable, like watching two car's head toward one another and there's nothing you can do" April said. She then closed her eyes and placed her hands on her cheeks; "There's gonna be crash, people are going to die and you're just gonna be left there-" she paused and opened her eyes when she heard the door closing. She let her hands fall to her side as she stared at the empty room; "What?"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Hey Karev when you buy Mer's house can we move in with you?" Jackson asked as he peruses his schedule.

"Nope. No roommates, we're not in college, we're real people now" Alex said.

"Wait, you're selling him your house?" Cristina asked.

"I might not, he wants to rip out the floors" Meredith replied.

Jackson's ears perked up; "I'll take the floor as it is"

"Jackson!"

Jackson turned towards the voice and saw April walking towards him.

"Why don't you continue shacking up with Kepner, you guys are always boinking anyway" Alex suggested with a smirk.

Jackson hastily ducked and made an escape.

April stopped right in front of the nurses' station and stared at Jackson's retreating form; "Where is he going?" she asked indignantly.

"Away from you it seems" Cristina replied.

"Cristina" April greeted.

Cristina leaned back on her chair and began studying April; "You still doing it with Avery?" she asked.

April gritted her teeth; "Does everybody know this now?"

Cristina smirked; "God and everybody" she teased.

April scoffed; "For a whole seconds I was glad to see you" she said before storming away towards the direction that Jackson disappeared to.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson let out sigh relief when he rounded the corner, he was able to successfully evade April—he's day is starting to pick up.

"Hey!"

Jackson spun around and spotted the red head standing a couple of feet away; he quickly turned around and began making his escape again.

"Stop!" April yelled as she furiously walked towards the Plastic Fellow

Jackson mentally swore as he stood rooted on the ground.

April narrowed her eyes at him before dragging him towards a vacant on call room.

Jackson rolled his eyes as he follows the red head inside.

April closed the door behind them and stood right in front of Jackson, fuming. "You don't get to have sex with and then just walk out without even so much as a have a nice day, okay? I deserve more respect than that!"

Jackson placed his hands on his hips as he glares at April; "What about me?" he asked.

April took a step back; "What about you?"

"I have to stick around and listen to you compare sex with me to a fatal car crash? Here how repellent-how disgusting..."

April's face softened as she realizes her error; "No-oh my god, no" she said. She then shifted closer to Jackson and placed her hands on Jackson's cheeks before trailing it down to his arms;"It's not you. You are great, you are not the problem" she emphasized.

Jackson eyes strayed towards April's lips; "Okay, so then?"

"Okay, so um...so you know when there's a dessert tray comes around and you should say no-"

Jackson clenched his jaw in annoyance when he realizes that April is using metaphors again.

"-because it's not nutritious and its fattening and you just, you-you know you shouldn't but-it's right there and it's so beautifully made and it looks so good" April said breathily.

Jackson averted his gaze and licked his lips when he felt the familiar pull.

April licked her lips as well; "And you've-you've had it before so you just, you know how delicious it is" she said seductively.

Jackson couldn't resist it anymore so he stepped closer to April and began backing her towards the door.

"So it's just right there, you know?" April said while staring at Jackson's lips.

"I do. Yeah-I know" Jackson replied while tucking a lose curl behind April's ear.

April leaned back on the door as she titled her head towards him; "So-so you have it. You have the dessert and it is delicious"

Jackson let out chuckle as he presses himself towards April; he placed his left hand on the door above April's head and licked his lips suggestively. He stared into her eyes before letting out sultry smile; "Yeah"

"I mean, it is an _amazing_ dessert" April said with a small smile.

"It is-really good" Jackson said huskily.

"For a moment..."

Jackson instantly pulled his face away from April and gritted his teeth, braising himself for another round of guilt ridden rambling.

"And then you feel tired and bloated and gassy and so-so guilty"

Jackson hunched forward and rested his forehead on the red head's shoulder, closing his eyes in frustration.

April shrugged Jackson off and began walking towards the bunk beds; "Like you just erased all of the exercise you have ever done and tomorrow, you're gonna wake up with zits all over your face and Jesus is so disappointed in you again and you just-" April paused when she heard the tell tale sign of a door closing again. She turned towards the spot where just Jackson stood and scowled; "Are you kidding me?"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Why are you creeping like an axe murderer?"

Jackson quickly stood straight and turned towards the voice; "Who says I'm creeping? I'm just thinking about something" he lied.

"Thinking about something requires walking like a hunchback?"

Jackson huffed in annoyance; "What do you need Torres?"

Callie leaned on the doorframe of her pseudo office; "You want in on Shepherd's nerve graft?" she asked.

Jackson's eyes widen in surprise; "I thought you were doing it with Sloan?" he asked.

"I thought about it, Derek is his best friend and if this surgery doesn't work I can't have him blaming Mark, their friendship already went through hell, I can't risk it—you understand me right?" Callie explained.

Jackson nodded; "I do, sure, I'm in."

Callie smiled widely; "We'll start a plan as soon as possible, I'll page you once I already have something. Thank you Avery" she said.

Jackson smiled back; "You're welcome, catch you later" he said before walking away.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Kepner, you paged?" Mark asked as he walked towards the Trauma Attending.

April tore her eyes away from her charts and turned towards Mark; "Burn patient on bed 5, I already administered pain meds. She's requesting for a Plastic Surgeon to take a look at her because she doesn't want scarring—she's an aspiring model."

"Is she hot?" Mark asked with a teasing smirk.

"See for yourself"

"It's not that you can't page me with these cases but why didn't you page my boy?" Mark asked curiously.

April's aura instantly shifted; "I already paged him but he never came-why should I even ask help from someone who clearly refuse to _work_ with me? I already ended up wasting my patient's time, paging him again will waste _my _time" she said with the edge of bitterness.

Mark's smile faltered as his brows furrow in concern; "Did you two fight?" he asked.

April scoffed; "Can you consider it fighting when the other party keeps walking out on you when you're in the middle of trying to prove a point?"

"Err-"

"Excuse me Dr. Kepner?"

April turned her eyes to the side and saw her intern standing beside her; "Yes?"

"Patient in bed 4 is insisting on checking out, AMA" Stephanie said.

"Did you explain to him that if he walks out of this hospital his appendix might explode and he might die?" April asked.

Stephanie swallowed hard; "Err-"

"Edwards!" April snapped.

Stephanie took a step back; "I'll talk to him again and explain the extent of—of his situation" she said shakily before scampering away.

"Impressive Kepner, I didn't know you have it in you."

April turned her gaze towards Mark; "Have what?"

Mark smiled; "The capability to shout at interns, I thought you're only capable of coddling them but after seeing that—I'm very impressed" he said.

April felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment; "I—I didn't mean to shout at her—I—"

"They need _tough love_ in order for them to learn, don't feel guilty about it" Mark said.

"O—okay"

"Give my boy some time, he'll come around" Mark said comfortingly. He then gestured towards bed 5; "I'll go check on our model" he said before walking away.

April closed her eyes and took deep calming breaths.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Hey, want to grab lunch with me?"

Lexie tore her eyes away from the novel she's reading and turned towards the door; "Hey Apes"

April leaned on the door frame; "What are you reading?"

Lexie lifted the book and wiggled it; "This book is _amazing—_you should read it"

"You're still reading that?"

"But of course! Did you know that I helped the author write this book? I mean, not the concept but I typed it for her" Lexie said proudly.

April smiled indulgently; "Is it good?"

"Hell yeah, I have the whole series, I can bring them tomorrow if you'd like" Lexie said with a huge smile.

April saw her friend's hopeful expression so she caved in; "Fine, bring them over and I'll read them" she said.

"I'll finally have someone to compare notes with! Yey!" Lexie said excitedly. She then dog-eared her book and placed it on top of the coffee table; she grabbed her cane beside her and hauled herself up slowly. "What are we eating?"

"I don't have the slightest idea but we'll find something edible" April replied.

Lexie scrunched her face in distaste as she limps towards April; "Anything but Jambalaya is fine with me"

April laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson peered behind the door and began scanning his surroundings; when he saw that the coast was clear he hastily made his way towards his mentor. "You paged?" he asked.

Mark tore his eyes away from his charts and stared at his prot; "Why in heavens name are you skulking like a freak?" he asked.

"I'm not skulking like a freak!"

Mark crossed his arms on top of his chest; "I just saw your head peering behind the damn door for a couple of seconds before you approached me, what's wrong with you?" he demanded.

Jackson pursed his lips; "Did you page me here to chastise me or we actually have a patient?"

Mark narrowed his eyes; "I already took care of the patient that you're supposed to tend to"

"What do you mean?" Jackson asked confusedly.

"We agreed that you'll take care of burn patients, did we not?"

"Yeah"

"Kepner paged you an hour ago but you never came, a patient was waiting for a Plastic consult for almost 30 minutes, what were you doing?" Mark asked.

Jackson averted his mentor's gaze and bowed his head in guilt.

"Look, when you're in this hospital you are doctor first.-whatever your issues are should take a back seat, do you understand me?"

Jackson lifted his head and met Mark's eyes; "Yes I understand—sorry" he said sheepishly.

Mark smiled; "Now that we have that out of the way—can you tell me what you've done to make Kepner so pissed?"

"She was pissed?"

"She screamed at one of her interns, isn't that enough sign?"

"She's pissed, really pissed" Jackson said before grimacing.

Mark smiled wider; "She was on fire-she's kinda hot"

Jackson automatically narrowed his eyes at his mentor; "You're not allowed to think of her that way"

Mark shrugged his shoulders; "Just saying" he said.

"You're also not allowed to say it"

"Geez! Lighten up man! I'm engaged, I don't have plans on stealing her"

Jackson stared at Mark for a couple of seconds; "Just making things clear" he said.

Mark shook his head in amusement; "I'm gonna grab a quick bite, want to join me?"

Jackson took a peak on his watch; "Yeah that would be great."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You asked me to have lunch with you but you're not even eating" Lexie said as she stares at April's plate.

April continued pushing her food around the plate; "I'm not really hungry I guess" she replied.

Lexie rolled her eyes; she grabbed her fries and began dipping it on ketchup. "I feel like I haven't seen anyone here aside from you and Mark, do you know where they are?" she asked.

April placed her fork on top of her plate before grabbing her bottle of juice; "Mer is in surgery with Alex their working on steroid kid who has lumps on his liver, Cristina is also in surgery, aortic ulcer—one of Dr. Russell's patient" she replied.

"I see, busy day" Lexie said before stuffing her mouth with her fries, chewing it with vigour.

April took the cap off of her juice and took a swig.

Lexie pulled the napkin from her try and patted her lips; "Mark is walking over here with your boytoy" she said with a huge smile.

April's demeanour instantly changed; she hastily snatched her lab coat from the chair next to her and pushed away from the table. "I need to get back to the pit, is it okay if I leave you with Mark?" she asked.

Lexie furrowed her brows; "Aren't you finishing your food? I thought it's your lunch break?" she asked.

April leaned forward and also swiped her bottle of juice from the table; "I don't feel like eating, I need to head back so are you okay here?" she asked.

Lexie nodded; "Yeah" she replied.

April threw her friend a smile before bolting towards the door of the cafeteria, leaving in a huff.

Mark placed his tray on top of the table and threw his fiancé a curious look; "Did she get paged for an incoming Trauma?" he asked as he sits down on the chair that April vacated.

Lexie tore her eyes away from the spot where she last saw the red head and blinked a couple of times; "There's no page—she just said that she's not hungry and she needs to go" she said.

Mark turned his eyes towards Jackson; "Seems like you're not the only one playing the game anymore, goodluck with that" he said.

Jackson tore his eyes away from the cafeteria door and placed his tray on top of the table; he pulled a chair beside Mark and plopped down.

Lexie narrowed his eyes at Jackson; "What did you do?"

Jackson threw Lexie an offended look; "Why do people always assume that it's my fault?"

"Because woman—we don't act like _that _when we're at fault" Lexie said pointedly.

Jackson huffed; "You also tend to nag our ears off" he murmured to himself.

"What did you say?" Lexie asked.

"Nothing" Jackson said as he sulkily plucked his bottled water from his tray.

* * *

oOo

* * *

It's been a long and tiring day and April cannot wait for her shift to end; she was typing her notes on the computer by the nurses' station when she saw Jackson approaching her; she threw him a dirty look before continuing her work.

Jackson directly walked towards the vacant swivel chair beside April and sat down; he turned his chair sideways to face her fully. "Alright, listen-" he said as he turned April's chair to face him too.

April scowled; "I am sorry, okay? I'm sure that you would prefer your booty calls to be uncomplicated and void of feelings, so I think you should probably just seek them somewhere else, okay? 'cause I know this is just sex to you and it's-"

"It's not just sex" Jackson snapped.

April paused and stared at Jackson.

"I mean, I wish it was, I pretended that it is cause you have good thing going with Jesus but its not"

"It's not?"

Jackson frowned; "No. And stop calling me a car crash or dessert or acting like I'm bumming out Jesus"

April averted her gaze; "I'm sorry. You-you made it seem like it was-"

"And stop acting like I don't have feelings, okay? I have feelings, I have a lot of them."

"About what?" April asked incredulously.

Jackson stared at April directly; "You. About you, April, for you" he emphasized.

April's eyes widen in surprise.

Jackson bowed his head and took a deep calming breath.

April swallowed hard; "I'm -I'm so sorry...that I hurt them..your-your feelings-" she said sincerely.

Jackson lifted his head and met April's eyes; "It's okay-just-"

April cringed; "I-I thought it was just sex..."

Jackson let out a tight lipped smile before replying; "Yeah-so did I" he admitted.

April bit her lip to keep herself from grinning; "Okay"

Jackson felt his cheeks flush as he realized what just did; "Have a good night" he said before standing up and avoiding April's eyes shyly.

"Talk to you tomorrow" April breathed out, still reeling from Jackson's impromptu confession.

Jackson hastily walked towards the other direction while April bit her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Thank you all for your cooperation today, next step is for us to file a complaint against the parties"

"Can we leave the pilot out of this? The man is a paraplegic now" Cristina said.

"Yeah, I agree. We should take him off the list" Derek said.

"Wait. No, what if he was drunk or a sleep?" Mark butted in.

"No, we talked to him" Meredith replied.

"Dr. Hunt, I'm gonna have to ask you to step out now, this is only appropriate for the victims of the crash" The legal counsel said.

"Oh-okay" Owen said before stepping out of the room.

"Folks, we're not going after the pilot. We need to investigate him to make our case but the damages we'll be seeking be far greater than what that pilot could be accountable for. Or the chartered company for that matter"

"We'll be going after the bigger fish" The lawyer interjected.

"More and more, it's looking like the best strategy will be look for fault with the hospital itself" The counsel said.

"Boise?" Lexie asked.

"No, this hospital" The counsel clarified. "The people who put you on that plane" The counsel said while looking towards the window where Owen stood.

* * *

oOo

* * *

The next morning, April woke up late so she find herself jogging towards the conference room; she yanked the door open and let out a relieved sigh when she noticed that the meeting hasn't started yet; "I'm sorry I'm late!" she said apologetically.

Owen threw his student a smile before gesturing towards the vacant seat beside Lexie; "You're just right on time Kepner, take a seat" he said.

April smiled back at her mentor and closed the door behind her; she hastily made her way towards the table and pulled a chair. "Morning Lex" she chirped.

Lexie smiled at the perky surgeon; "Morning—you seem to be in a better mood today" she observed.

April responded with a large smile and took her seat.

Jackson felt his heart thump wildly upon hearing his best friend voice; he angled himself towards her direction and fixed his gaze on April's smiling face.

Mark noticed his prot shift in his chair and saw him facing towards the other direction; he followed his line of sight and caught him staring at the red head sitting across from them. He smiled like a Cheshire cat and bend towards Jackson; "Awww...you're acting like a love sick puppy, you're so cute" he teased.

Jackson's head snapped up; "I'm not a love sick puppy!" he hissed.

Mark stood straight as he let out a chuckle.

April, hearing Mark's laugh turned her gaze towards his direction; she felt her cheeks flush when she finally noticed that Jackson is sitting right across from her. She averted her gaze shyly as she tries to even out her breathing; "Breathe" she muttered to herself.

Lexie leaned towards April; "What's that?" she asked.

April shook her head; "Err—nothing" she replied.

Lexie raised her brow inquisitively; she was about to grill her friend's for answers but was cut off when Owen started speaking.

"Good morning everyone, this won't take long, just a quick update; I had to re-arrange some of your surgeries last night so please check the O.R. boards for the changes. Some of you may run into Arizona Robbins today, it's her first day back" he said.

The whole surgical team clapped and cat called when they heard the good news about their colleague.

Owen smiled at the enthusiasm; "So if you see her just make her feel welcome a-"

"Or maybe just don't make a big deal at all—it might be better" Callie interjected with a small smile.

Owen threw Callie a look; "Noted. Thank you" he said. He then shifted his gaze back to the rest of the surgeons; "And oh, I have one last thing to say, most of you are aware that a group of our doctors have filed a lawsuit against our hospital some of you may be wondering what this all means and how it's gonna affect our staff. I'd like to be clear—it doesn't at all. Let's just let the lawyers worry about that—that's their job. Our job is to continue to work together and support each other in giving great standard of care that we have always given, let's not let something like this get in the way of that. That's all—thank you" he said.

The whole room gave Owen an affirmative response before dispersing.

Cristina waited for the other surgeons to leave before walking towards her husband; "That was good"

"Thank you" Owen replied with a smile.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Miranda pulled her phone away from her ear and shoved it inside her pockets; she then placed her charts on top of the nurses' station and saw April and Richard watching her with amusement. "He wants to have a Christmas wedding in a rustic mountain lodge with red ribbons and mistletoe and a tree with ornaments made of our photos" she said with frown.

"Aww...that sounds beautiful" April gushed.

Miranda shook her head as she stacks her charts; "No, it's stupid. What kind of self respecting man cares this much about a wedding?"

Richard stood straight and stared at his former prot; "I did"

Miranda pushed away from the counter and walked towards her mentor; "Yeah—but I did the wedding thing before. I'm gonna make all those people who showed up the first time to sit through another ceremony because maybe I'll mean it this time" she said exasperatedly. "You were there with Adele, you got me a set of ramekins"

"And I'd be happy to get you another set" Richard retorted.

"I want to get married in a field with wild flowers everywhere and butterflies that are released when I say "I do". Oh—and I want to have this little mints that say mint-to-be" April said dreamily.

Both Richard and Miranda stared at the Trauma Attending weirdly.

April smiled widely; "You get it coz their mints?" she said.

Miranda pursed her lips; "There will be no mints. We're going to a courthouse have a little cocktail party after" she said before making her way back to the counter.

"Yeah—we'll see about that. A man who puts a deposit is man who means business" Richard said.

Miranda gathered the charts to her chest; "Well, he has until the 12th to get his money back, that's two days. He'd need two years to get me to agree to a wedding with Santa Clause running around" she said before walking away.

Richard shook his head before walking towards the other direction.

April furrowed her brows as she turned towards the nurse; "Uhm—today's the 10th?"

"Yep"

April's eyes widen as she hastily snapped her chart close; _Oh shit, I'm freaking late. _

* * *

_**A/N: This is shorter than my normal chapters and most of the contents are from the episode itself, I can't help it, this is one of my favourite's ^_^ I twisted some scenes and added a couple of my own, hope you like it! ^_^ again, tell me what you think, I love hearing from you guys! Next update will be soon! Cheers!**_


	5. Wrecking ball

**Chapter Five: Wrecking ball**

* * *

"_**We clawed, we chained our hearts in vain, we jumped never asking why. We kissed, I fell under your spell, a love no one could deny. Don't you ever say I just walked away, I will always want you. I can't live a lie, running for my life, I will always want you..."**_

* * *

"What's with the incessant staring?" Mark asked as he walks sidelong Jackson.

"I am not staring" Jackson replied.

Mark chuckled; "You were staring at Kepner like you want to rip her clothes and pin her to the table"

Jackson's eyes widen and halted his steps; "Really?"

"Really"

Jackson just scrunched his face and resumed his steps.

Mark followed his prot; "I take it that you followed my advice and begged for her forgiveness?" he asked smugly.

"Err-"

"Come on now, no need to be shy" Mark cajoled.

Jackson paused again and turned to face his mentor; "Off the record?" he asked.

"Off the record"

Jackson studied Mark's face for a couple of seconds; "I told her I have feelings for her—a lot of feelings" he blurted out.

Mark's eyes widen in shock.

Jackson stared at his mentor nervously; "Do—do you think I said too much too early?" he asked.

Mark's eyes started to crinkle at the sides as a huge grin crawled up his lips; he carelessly pulled Jackson into a hug and patted his back jovially. "About time my boy, about time!" he said like a proud father.

"Err—"

Mark pulled away and beamed at the young man; "So you're a couple now?"

Jackson scratched the back of his head; "I don't know"

Mark furrowed his brows; "What do you mean you don't know?"

Jackson smiled sheepishly; "I kinda stormed off after I confessed my feelings"

"You ran like a coward?"

"I didn't run like a coward!" Jackson said indignantly.

Mark crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Then what do you call what you did?" he challenged.

Jackson opened his mouth to speak but when no words seem to come to him he snapped it close.

Mark clicked his tongue in disappointment; "Balls Avery, what did I teach you?"

Jackson grimaced; "I know—I know! It's just—this is all new to me and I'm still not sure what this feelings mean" he admitted.

Mark cocked his head to the side; "So you're telling me that you don't know what to _label _the feelings you have for her?" he asked.

Jackson nodded; "Exactly."

"Well—that's hard"

"I know" Jackson groaned.

Mark patted Jackson's shoulder comfortingly; "Don't rush, you have all the time in the world to sort out your feelings. Hell—it took me a plane crash and to see Lexie dying before I became 100% sure that I'm really in love with her" he said.

Jackson let out a teasing smile; "You were like a love sick puppy nipping at her heels for affection and yet you didn't know?" he asked.

"You're doing the same thing with Kepner, are you telling me you now know?" Mark retorted with his infamous smirk.

Jackson felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment; "Whatever man! Time to work" he said before walking away.

Mark let out a full belly laugh.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"It was good that Owen said that about the lawsuit" Meredith said as she walks sidelong Cristina.

Cristina stuffed her hands inside her lab coat pocket; "What, "his one big family" crap? It's very sweet unless you're me"

"It needed to be said,"

"Yeah, unless you're the deformed wife chained in the attic"

Meredith threw her best friend an exasperated look; "Well—what do you want to be to him?"

"Well I don't want to be chained in the attic-"

"Hey guys have you seen Jackson? He's not answering my texts" April said between pants.

"Why? You looking for Jackson action?" Cristina asked with a teasing smirk.

Meredith laughed.

Cristina placed her hand on her stomach as she tries to stifle her laugh; "Oh, my god. What did I tell you? 30 years as a nun and she can't get enough"

April narrowed her eyes at her friends; "So, you haven't seen him?"

"No. But we will tell him that you really, really, really need to see him" Meredith said with smile.

April rolled her eyes in annoyance before storming away.

"Bye April" Cristina called out.

"Now, try doing the sutures like I taught you" Lexie said encouragingly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April peered inside the skills lab and threw Lexie an agitated smile; "Err—Dr. Grey, quick consult please?"

"I'll be back" Lexie said as she stood up from her perch. She slowly made her way towards April and followed her outside the room; "Hey, what do you need me for?" she asked.

"Where's your cane?" April asked as she stares at Lexie.

Lexie smiled proudly; "I visited my P.T. this morning and he told me that I can walk without my cane if I'll learn to take it easy, so I threw it away" she said.

April smiled; "That's good to hear Lex, just try to stay off your feet as often as possible" she said.

Lexie rolled her eyes; "So, what do you need?" she asked.

"Can you take my blood?" April blurted out.

Lexie scrunched her face in confusion; "What do you mean _take your blood_?"

"I mean draw my blood for me, I need to check something—I tried finding Jackson to do it for me but I can't seem to find him" April rambled anxiously.

Lexie studied April's face and furrowed her brows in concern; "Why are we drawing your blood? Are you sick or something? Come to think of it, you do look pale"

April let out a nervous chuckle; "Yeah—I think I caught something" she lied.

"I'll help you then but you also have to tell Jackson, what time do you want to meet?"

April threw the other surgeon a sheepish smile; "As soon as you're able?"

Lexie took a peak on her watch; "30 minutes tops, that alright?"

"Yep, thanks for doing this Lex" April said with a grateful look.

Lexie waived her hand dismissively; "Well better head back there and check on my interns, see you later" she said.

"Thank you!"

Lexie chuckled as she steps inside the skills lab again.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I tried to warn you-"

Meredith threw her intern a stern look; "You did a lousy job. There's some abdominal tenderness so let's get a C.T and get me the results right away" she snapped.

Jo nodded and hastily walked away.

"Grey! Sloan is still in surgery he sent me here, you got a patient with a hang lac?" Jackson asked as he saunters towards Meredith.

Meredith patted his shoulder and gestured towards the patient; "Yeah—he's over there and watch your ass" she warned.

Jackson threw the patient a confused look; "What do you mean?" he asked.

Meredith smirked; "He's a little grabby and oh, April's been looking for you—I think she's needing some Jackson action-_badly" _she said before walking away.

Jackson furrowed his brows as he watches the other surgeon leave; "Err—where is she?" he asked.

"My patient first, loving later!"

Jackson shook his head as he walks towards the patient; "Good Morning, I'm Dr. Avery and I'll work on your hang lac" he said.

"Hi Doc" The patient said cheerfully.

Jackson smiled; he then shifted closer to the bed and leaned forward. He was about to check on the patient's condition when he felt a hand feeling up his ass.

"Daddy! Stop it! This is so embarrassing! Oh god—I'm really sorry Dr. Avery"

Jackson grimaced as he took a step back; he lifted his gaze towards the patient's daughter and threw her an appeasing look. "That's okay"

"I can't help it!" The patient yelped.

Jackson shifted his eyes towards the patient and let out a tight lipped smile; "Let's go wait for that C.T. before we work on your hang lac"

"Dr. Kepner we need you here!"

Jackson spun around and saw April running towards the E.R. doors.

April automatically leaned towards the gurney and began checking the patient; "What do we have here?" she asked.

"14 years old in a horseback riding accident, hypotensive and bleeding through his bandages" The nurse said.

"Wexler, Lewis, Trauma room now!" April barked as she began pushing the gurney.

Jackson cocked his head to the side as he watches April in action.

"She's even hotter when she's barking orders like that—bossy but _very_ sexy"

Jackson's head snapped to the side; "I already told you that you're not allowed to think of her that way!"

Mark chuckled at Jackson's reaction; "You're always easy to rile up Avery" he said. "So, where's our patient with the hang lac?" he asked as he surveys the room.

Jackson pointed towards the bed behind them and smirked slyly; "He's right there, why don't you check him yourself, he's got something that'll interest you"

Mark rubbed his hands together; "Okay—I'll go check on him" he said. He then walked towards the bed and introduced himself to the patient; he leaned forward and began checking the patient's condition, he was about to lift the patient's gown when he felt a hand grabbing his ass.

Jackson quickly turned around to hide his laughter; he bit his bottom lip hard to prevent himself from guffawing out loud.

After a couple of seconds, Mark fell into step with Jackson and forcefully placed his arm around his student's shoulder; "You'll pay for that Avery" he said before storming out of the pit.

Jackson waited for Mark's back to disappear before laughing.

"Hey Avery, I need your help, I already have a plan" Callie said as she walks towards the Plastic Fellow.

Jackson sniffed and placed his hands around his waist; "Uh—can it wait? I'm a little busy"

"Oh well—every second, the nerve is dying a little bit more, as we stand here and argue, his nerve is dying"

Jackson opened his mouth to speak but Callie turned her back on him and began walking away; "Oh—his nerve died just a little bit more so let's go, snap snap!" she barked.

Jackson's shoulder slumped in defeat as he follows the Orthopaedic Attending.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Owen was rounding the corner when Richard saw him; he hastily made a bee line towards the Chief of surgery and fell into step with him. "Nice speech this morning. Very—once more unto the breach, dear friends" he complimented.

Owen threw Richard a confused look, not understanding what the older surgeon is saying.

"Shakespeare, you know, _Henry V_" Richard explained.

"Oh"

"I mean the point is you're handling all this well"

Owen smiled; "Thanks, you need something?"

Richard shook his head; "Just checking in, you—you alright with this meeting?" he asked with concern.

Owen stopped right in front of the conference room; "Yeah—I'm just telling them what happened, why?"

Richard stood right in front of Owen and placed his hands on his hips; "Oh for no reason, it's just, you know, a lawsuit like this reminds a hospital that it's a business—the angles change pretty quickly so don't let them back you in a corner" he advised.

Owen nodded; "I should be fine" he re-assured.

Richard smiled; "Of course, of course. Look, you know what you're doing—just ignore me" he said before walking away.

Owen watched Richard walk away before entering the conference room; he walked towards the table and pulled a chair.

"Dr. Hunt as I'm sure you are aware, members of your staff have now lodge an official complaint with intent to sue Seattle Grace Mercy West hospital" The lawyer said.

Owen nodded; "I am."

"So today is just a preliminary interview to prepare the hospital's case" The lawyer said.

The other lawyer pushed a piece of paper towards Owen; "This is a confidentiality agreement, you can look it over, it just says that—"

"You should make note that it specifically mentions your wife Dr. Cristina Yang as one of the plaintiffs in the case" The other lawyer said, cutting off his colleague.

Owen signed on the paper and pushed it back towards the lawyer; "Yeah, I saw that."

"So we understand that this is an unusual situation for you and a clear conflict of interest for the hospital"

"Don't worry, whatever we say here will stay here" Owen said.

"Great, no awkward conversations around the dinner table."

"Okay so let's start-"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Can you take over the ultrasound? He's got abdominal tenderness and I need to get control of this bleeding, I think he may have lacerated his femoral vein" April said while tending to the patient's wounds.

"My sneakers" The patient croaked.

Alex furrowed his brows; "What's that?" he asked.

"Don't lose my sneakers, they're 200 bucks"

April lifted the patient's leg and began bandaging it tightly; "That's why his leg slipped through the stirrup, you have to wear a shoe with a heel when you ride a horse" she said pointedly.

Alex moved the transducer on the patient's abdomen; "Kid spends 200 bucks on sneakers, he's obviously not the king of awesome choices" he paused and stared at the monitor closely; "All right, there's possible blood on the upper left quadrant"

"Great. Let's just get him up to C.T"

Alex wiped the gel off the patient's stomach; "Hold on, let's wait for Robbins"

April snipped the bandage and stared at Alex; "Uh—are you kidding me?"

Alex pulled the side railings and met April's eyes; "She's on her way"

April tugged the other side railing; "He just got dragged 20 yards by a horse"

Alex braised his hands on the railings; "He's totally stable, look, it's her first day back" he explained.

"He did a stupid thing, I'm not gonna let it ruin his life" April retorted. She then shifted her gaze to her staff; "Let's move this gurney, right now!" she snapped.

Alex rolled his eyes before following April's instructions.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Really? A supply closet?" Lexie asked, clearly aghast.

April hopped off of her perch and smiled sheepishly; "I can't think of anywhere else" she replied.

Lexie walked towards the antsy red head and stood beside her; "Give me"

April handed her the syringe and tourniquet; she shifted closer to Lexie and lifted the sleeve of her scrub top up.

Lexie wrapped the rubber band on April's arm and tapped it a couple of times, waiting for a vein to pop. Once she saw it, she hastily connected the IV line to a test tube and inserted the needle into April's vein.

April gasped.

Lexie lifted her gaze and studied her friend's face; "Sorry—I'm a little rusty"

April smiled wearily; "It's okay Lex, thank you for doing this for me" she said.

Lexie straightened the IV line and waited for the blood to drip; "Have you told Jackson yet?" she asked.

April averted her gaze; "Err—I haven't seen him yet" she replied.

Lexie raised her brow, clearly not believing April. She was about to open her mouth to question her further but the door to the supply closet was yanked open unceremoniously.

"What the hell Kepner? Our surgery's about to start" Alex said. He then paused when he saw what the two surgeon's are up to. "What are you guys doing?"

"I'm anemic, I just need to have it checked" April replied hastily.

Alex narrowed his eyes sceptically at the Trauma surgeon.

Lexie lifted the tube and saw that it's half full; "This good?" she asked while lifting it for April to see.

"Yeah—that's enough. Thanks Lex, can you help me take this thing of?"

"Sure" Lexie replied. She hastily tugged on the tourniquet and gently pulling the needle of, pressing a cotton ball to stop the bleeding.

April turned his gaze towards Alex; "Go on, I'll follow you, we're just finished here" she said.

Alex leaned on the doorframe; "I'll just wait for you" he said while crossing his arms on top of his chest.

April let out a defeated sigh before turning to Lexie; she plucked the test tube from her friend's hand and smiled gratefully. "I'll just drop this off to the lab, thank you Lex, you're an angel" she said.

"Are you sure? I can like drop it off for you, looks like Alex needs you" Lexie offered.

April shook her head; "No, it's alright. I can handle this" she said. She then gestured towards the materials they used and grimaced; "Can you?"

Lexie waived her hand dismissively; "Go, I'll throw this out" she said.

"Thank you!" April said. She hastily slipped the tube inside her lab coat pocket and walked towards Alex; "Let's go" she said.

"Err—you're bleeding on your coat Kepner" Alex said while pointing towards her arm.

"Oh—it's okay, I'll live" April said before storming out of the supply closet.

Alex turned towards Lexie; "She's acting weirder than the usual, what's wrong with her?" he asked.

Lexie shrugged her shoulders; "I don't know but can you at least put a plaster on her arm? You don't want her bleeding over your patient" she said.

Alex sighed; "Yeah, I can do that. See you later Lex" he said before closing the door behind him.

Lexie began gathering the supplies they used when the door was yanked open again; she spun around and saw her fiancé standing by the door. "Hey"

Mark's eyes dropped to the supplies in Lexie's hand; he crossed his arms on top of his chest and narrowed his eyes. "Are you practicing on yourself again?"

"Huh?" Lexie asked confusedly.

Mark gestured towards the bloodied IV lines.

"Oh. They're not mine, I helped April draw blood" Lexie explained.

"Why is Kepner drawing blood?"

Lexie bundled the supplies in her hand and began walking towards Mark; "She's anemic?" she said.

"Anemic?"

"Yeah"

Mark pulled the supplies away from Lexie's hand before wrapping his arm around her shoulders; "I didn't know that Kepner is anaemic" he said.

"Me too," Lexie replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Dr. Kepner?" Arizona said.

"This P.D.S. suture isn't holding and I can't get hemostasis. Horseback riding is supposed to be fun but even if you wear the right shoes and helmet and everything, protection doesn't always work, so you know what? What's the point? You might as well ride bareback" April said.

"Dr. Kepner" Arizona said again.

April lifted her eyes from the patient and turned towards the Ped's Attending; "What?" she asked.

"There's a large blood stain on your sleeve, is that from the patient?" Arizona asked.

April shifted her gaze towards her arm and saw blood seeping through her surgical gown, the exact spot where she had her blood drawn; "Crap!" she said. She hastily stepped away from the patient and placed her instruments on the tray; "I'll be back, just give me a second" she said.

"Clean up and then come back, take your time" Arizona said kindly.

April nodded before spinning on her heels and stepping out of the O.R.

Alex shook his head as he took over the stitches.

"Did Kepner get hurt?" Arizona asked with furrowed brows.

"She had her blood drawn by Lexie and I think she nicked a large vein. I offered to patch her up but she adamantly refused and said it was okay" Alex explained.

"Well it doesn't look like its okay" Arizona said.

Alex snorted; "You know how Kepner can get crazy sometimes" he replied.

Arizona shook her head.

April stormed out of the scrub room and made a bee line towards the elevator; she irritably mumbled to herself as she checked the sleeve of her scrub top.

"April?"

April's head snapped to the side and saw Jackson walking towards her; "Hey Jackson"

Jackson stood right in front of her and grinned; "Do you want to grab—" he paused when he noticed her blood stained arm. His smile instantly vanished as he took a step closer to the red head; "Is that your blood?" he asked with furrowed brows.

April grimaced before taking a step back; "Err—yeah"

Jackson's eyes widen; he instantly placed his hands on April's arm and began checking her frantically. "Are you hurt? Where? What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay—stop it" April said with a faint smile.

"Why are you bleeding then?" Jackson asked adamantly.

April sighed; "I asked Lexie to draw my blood for me and I guess she nicked a large vein but I'm fine. I just need to have it plastered and change into new scrubs, Alex and Arizona are waiting for me" she explained weakly.

"Why did you have your blood drawn?"

April swallowed hard; "I-I think I'm anaemic—so I had to check"

Jackson raised his brow, clearly not believing April's reason. "Do you want me to patch it up for you? I'm a free agent" he said.

"That will be great, thank you"

Jackson tugged on her other arm and began steering her towards the other direction.

April followed silently; "_You have to tell him you know—he might be a father soon" _she thought to herself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"How did you know?" Owen asked as he stood by the door frame.

Richard turned around; "11 years in your job?"

Owen huffed; "You want it back?"

"No" Richard said while taking off his glasses. "You know, they're always looking for an escape goat—someone they can lay on the blame on and then set them adrift, that's what happened?" he asked while crossing his arms on top of his chest.

Owen furrowed his brows in confusion; "No, the board—they have my back completely."

"That's great"

"Yeah-" Owen paused while in thought. He then placed his hand on his hip; "Why wouldn't they just—fire me?"

Richard shrugged his shoulder; "I don't know" he then paused and his eyes widen; "Oh."

"What?"

"You're married to someone on the other side, they seem unhappy about that?" Richard said pensively.

Owens' breath caught in his throat as realization dawned on him; "Richard, thank you" he said before storming out of the room.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"We both know Shepherd's just gonna shoot this idea down" Jackson said while rolling his eyes.

Callie scowled; "You're being _really _helpful"

Jackson slumped back on his chair; "I'm sorry Torres—it's just that, we've been wracking our heads for ideas and every time we come up with a new one, Shepherd shoots it down. I still think the nerve graft is the best solution to have his hand working at a 100% but he just won't listen"

Callie let out a defeated sigh; "I know, that's also what I think" she said glumly.

"You have to make him listen then, you are the Orthopaedic surgeon here, you shouldn't let him back you in the corner and tell you what you can or what you can't do"

Callie stared at Jackson for a couple of minutes before a smile formed on her lips; "You are right Avery—you are brilliant!"

Jackson smiled back; "I know right?"

"He's brilliant and he's mine, Avery stand up!"

Jackson and Callie both turned towards the door.

Mark smirked as he leans on the doorframe.

"Let me guess, you're here to get you most priced prot?" Callie asked.

"He's been under your service almost the entire day, I want him back" Mark said.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "I'm still here you know" he said.

Callie chuckled; "Well you can have him back" she said. She then shifted her eyes back to Jackson; "I'll finalize our game plan then we'll be presenting it tomorrow, be ready to tackle him if worst comes to worse"

Jackson stood up from his perch and grinned at Callie widely; "You got it" he said.

Mark narrowed his eyes and gestured towards the space between his best friend and his prot; "I don't like this at all—he's mine Torres!" he said petulantly.

Jackson rolled his eyes again before he walked towards Mark; he lightly shoves him off the doorframe so the older surgeon would start walking. "Cut it out man, you're talking like I'm yours or something, it's creepy!" he complained.

Mark grinned when he heard Callie laughing behind them; "We're the Plastic Posses, I can't have you taking interest with other specialties" he quipped.

Jackson snorted; "You are aware that I'm already starting my Fellowship under you right?"

Mark paused; "Yeah, that's right" he said.

"The accident really addled your brain a bit" Jackson murmured.

Mark ignored Jackson's comment and continued chattering; "So is Kepner anaemic?" he asked curiously.

"I'm sorry—what?"

"Kepner's lab results, Lexie drew her blood this afternoon for screening" Mark said.

April's bloodied arm suddenly came into Jackson's mind, making him snigger.

"What's funny?"

"Lexie nicked a large vein when he pulled the needle out, April's arm bled a little during her surgery so Arizona sent her out to _freshen _up."

Mark whistled; "Kepner must be pissed"

Jackson nodded; "She was pissed but not with Lexie" he said. He then furrowed his brows and halted his steps; "Come to think of it, she's acting a little _weirder _than the usual" he said.

"Kepner has always been weird?" Mark said.

Jackson threw Mark a warning look.

Mark raised both hands in surrender.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was washing her hands when Alex stepped inside the scrub room; "You're arm okay?" he asked.

April snatched a towel from above the sink and threw Alex a smile; "Yep" she replied.

Alex stood right in front of the sink and began washing his hands; "So—did you get your lab results?" he asked.

"Nope—our surgery went longer than expected, I'm about to go there, actually" April said.

Alex peered through the O.R. window to check the clock; "You better hurry if you want to catch them still open" he said.

April followed Alex's gaze and her eyes widen; "You're right!" she said. She hastily dumped her towel on the bin and run towards the door; "See you later Alex!"

Alex shook his head; "_Weirder _than the usual" he said to himself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson pulled on his jacket before grabbing his bag from his locker; he plucked his phone from his pocket and began checking it for messages.

"You going home?" Alex asked as he leans on the doorframe.

Jackson tore his eyes away from the device; "Yeah" he replied. He then paused and stared at the other surgeon; "Have you seen April? You had surgery with her and Robbins right?"

"Yeah—she just went to get her lab results" Alex replied. He then crossed his arms on top of his chest and smirked widely; "Speaking of lab results, did you knock her up?"

Jackson stiffened when he felt the wind got knocked out of his chest; "W—what do you mean?"

Alex cocked his head to the side; "Well—I caught her and Lexie drawing blood and she's acting a little bit crazy than the usual" he explained.

Jackson furrowed his brows as he tightened his hold on his phone; "She's checking for anemia Karev" he replied.

"Really Avery? We've been living with her for months and we both know that Kepner is healthy as a bee and she just donated blood last week, if she's anaemic do you think she'll be allowed to donate blood? Use your head man" Alex said before turning around and walking away.

Jackson felt blood leave his face as his heart drop down to his stomach.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Elevated HCG-" April felt her chin wobble as she read her results. Tears started pooling her eyes as realization dawned on her. She's pregnant and it's out of wedlock, her parents are going to kill her and she hasn't told the father yet. Oh god, Jackson—what will he do? She buried her face into her palms as a sob escaped her lips; her shoulder started to shake as she felt the ground under her crumble right before her eyes.

"April?"

April felt her heart stop upon hearing the familiar voice; she hastily stuffed the lab results inside her pockets and tried her best to wipe her tears. She swallowed the lump inside her throat and turned her head to the side. "Hey Jackson"

Jackson walked towards the bench and sat down; he studied April's face and furrowed his brows. "Were you crying?" he asked.

April smiled wearily; "O—of course not" she lied.

Jackson eyed his best friend for a couple of seconds; "Is there something you want to tell me?"

April felt her whole stiffen in fear; "What do you mean?"

Jackson took a deep breath, deciding to bite the bullet and just ask her directly. "Are you pregnant?"

April's eyes widen in shock; she felt blood leave her face as her hands started shaking.

Jackson noticed how the colour left April's face, a dead giveaway-confirming Karev's conclusion; he felt his heart drop to his stomach as and a heavy weight shifted inside his chest.

April's chin began to wobble as a gasp escaped her lips; she buried her face into her palms to muffle the cries that she's trying her best to hold back.

Jackson was startled out of his own thoughts when he heard April's weeping beside him; he hastily shifted closer to the red head and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Hey-hey-calm down" he whispered.

April's cries intensified upon hearing his words.

Jackson pulled April to his chest and hugged her tightly; "Everything's gonna be okay-we will be okay" he soothed.

April pulled her hands away from her face and buried her face into the crook of Jackson's neck; "I'm sorry-I'm really sorry" she whimpered.

Jackson began rubbing April's back; "Don't apologize—it's not your fault"

"I should've been more careful-I was so stupid"

"Shhhh...you are not stupid-not at all" Jackson whispered.

April snaked her arms Jackson's waist and hugged him tightly; "I'm sorry..."

Jackson buried his face into his curls and he let out a defeated sigh.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Dr. Hunt you're back" The board member said.

Owen furrowed his brows as he stood right in front of the table; "Yeah-question, my conflict of interest doesn't seem to concern you much"

The lawyer turned towards Owen; "Like what we've said, your situation is unusual-"

"What about my wife's conflict of interest? She's married to me too" Owen said cutting off the other man.

"Well, that-that's-" The board member began explaining.

"I booked that plane and my wife could benefit financially from my negligence, you're hoping that because I'm married to Cristina, the judge will throw this whole case out."

"Who, Dr. Hunt, let's not over think this, the board supports you 100-"

"Let me just remind you that the confidentiality agreement that you signed is punishable by termination and financial penalties" The lawyer interjected.

Owen stared at the lawyer for a moment before nodding his head; "I understand, have a good night" he said before storming out of the conference room.

Jackson opened the door to his room and closed it behind him; he tiredly walked towards his bed and plopped down. He's still reeling from what just happened an hour ago and he still cannot let everything sink in; he's gonna be father and his mom will murder him for impregnating April out of wedlock. "Fuck, fuck fuck!" he cursed. He closed his eyes and began rubbing his face with his palms furiously; "What have you gotten yourself into? What the hell are you supposed to do now?" he huffed out.

* * *

"_**I came in like a wrecking ball, I never hit so hard in love. All I wanted was to break your walls, all you ever did was wreck me. I came in like a wrecking ball, I just closed my eyes and swung, left me crashing in a blazing fall, all you ever did was wreck me..."**_

* * *

April woke up with the sun streaming down her face; she groggily rubbed her eyes and tries her best to sit down. She pulled her knees to her chest and braised her arms on top of it; she hid her face into the crook of her arms as she recalls what happened last night.

* * *

_**Flashback**__:_

_Jackson pulled away from April and gently cupped her face, tilting it towards him; "Look at me" he said._

_April sniffed and met Jackson's eyes._

"_I know that it's not what you planned or how you planned it but we can do this, you and me. We'll-we'll get married—we'll have an awesome kid, be amazing parents—I'm in this with you, we'll do this together" Jackson said seriously._

"_Don't say that if you don't mean it-"_

"_I mean it April, we can do this" Jackson said, cutting April off._

"_You—you really think that?" April asked shakily._

_Jackson gazed into April's eyes intensely; "You said it yourself, something that feels this good, cannot be bad."_

_April felt her chin wobble as overwhelming emotion surge into her chest; "You really want this?"_

_Jackson smiled; "I want this, we get married, we'll move into our own house with a big yard"_

"_And we have a wedding?"_

_Jackson wiped the tears from April's cheeks; "We have a huge freaking wedding" he affirmed._

_April smiled between tears; "In a field with butterflies? I don't know-"_

"_Butterflies—a field, whatever you want. Your family's gonna be there, my family—I mean, my crazy mom's gonna be there—she'll probably bring Webber, whatever—that's fine" Jackson rambled._

_April placed her hands to Jackson's face and cupped his cheeks; she pulled his face to hers and kissed him passionately._

_Jackson wrapped his arms around April and pulled her closer, returning her kisses in the same intensity._

_April slowly pulled away and stared at Jackson seriously; "Are we really? Are you sure we can do this?"_

_Jackson nodded; "We can do this—I'm all in" he said firmly._

_April let out a bright smile before pulling Jackson's face again and began kissing him between happy giggles._

_**End of Flashback**_

* * *

"You alright?"

April shifted her face away from her arms but kept her original position; "Yeah"

Alex pushed the door wider and leaned on the doorframe; "Are you coming in today? You look kinda pale" he said.

"I have to, I'm handling the pit today" April replied.

"If you're really not feeling well then just call Hunt and tell him you're not coming in"

April sighed; she then let her legs fall back on the bed before crawling towards the edge. She lazily planted her feet on the floor and hauled herself up; "It's okay—I don't want to add up to his worries" she said.

Alex shook his head as he turns around; "Stubborn" he mumbled while walking away.

"I heard that Alex!" April said.

"I intended for you too" Alex retorted.

April let out a small smile as she snatches her towel from the hanger; she then walked towards her door and stepped into the hallway. Her eyes instantly landed on Jackson's door and felt butterflies flutter inside her stomach; speaking of stomach, she shifted her eyes to her belly and bit her lip with apprehension.

"Avery already left-he got paged by Sloan" Alex said.

"Oh"

Alex gestured towards the bathroom; "Take a bath, I'll ride with you to the hospital"

April stared at Alex confusedly; "Err—why?" she asked.

Alex crossed his arms on top his chest; "I won't let you drive alone to the hospital—you look sick" he said pointedly. He then narrowed his eyes; "Get your ass in the shower now so we can go" he barked.

April hurriedly walked towards the bathroom; "Geez! I'm going, no need to shout at me like an intern"

Alex laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was scrubbing out from surgery when Mark joined him; the older surgeon stepped right in front of the sink and began running his hands under water. "You seem distracted, are you okay?

Jackson shook off the excess water from his hands and snatched a towel above the sink; "Yeah—I'm good" he replied.

Mark threw Jackson a side glance; "You know you can tell me anything and it will be off the record if it needs to be" he said cautiously.

Jackson paused and braised his hands on the sink; he closed his eyes as he grasped the sink tightly. "April is pregnant" he mumbled.

Mark furrowed his brows; "I didn't get that, you have to speak clearly."

Jackson opened his eyes and turned his gaze towards Mark, meeting his eyes straight; "April is pregnant, I'm gonna be a father" he said clearly.

Mark's eyes widen in shock.

Jackson let out a deep breath before averting his eyes again; "I got her pregnant and I told her that I'll marry her" he added quietly.

Mark cleared his throat as he shook his head to clear his thoughts; "I-I don't know what to say—congratulations?"

Jackson smiled wearily; "Yeah man, thanks"

Mark snatched a towel and began drying his hands; once his satisfied that it's dry, he hastily discarded it in the bin and placed his hands on his hips. "Okay—you're gonna be a father and a husband sooner than expected. You offered to marry her which is an awesome gesture coming from you but why do you look so glum? What's really going on?"

Jackson placed his hands on his hips as he began pacing like a caged animal; "I—I just feel like everything is moving too fast—I mean, I haven't figured out what I really feel about her and now she's carrying my kid and I have to marry her—hell, I don't even know if I want one!" he said, clearly in panic.

"If I understand you right-you only offered to marry her because as of the moment that's the most honourable thing to do?"

Jackson paused and let out a frustrated sigh; "I—I think so...I don't know"

Mark stared at Jackson pensively for a moment; "Do you want to hear what I think?"

"Yeah sure, shoot"

"Marriage is not the solution to your predicament—you shouldn't marry April just because you got her pregnant."

Jackson stared at his mentor indignantly; "But that's the right thing to do—I can't let my own kid grow up without a father, I know how that felt and it sucks" he retorted.

Mark rolled his eyes; "You will always be the kid's father, no one can that away from you. Take me and Callie as an example—we have a kid together, I'm Sophia's full time father but I'm not her mother's husband and to top that off, we're all happy and it's working" he explained.

Jackson pursed his lips as he thinks about what Mark said.

"All I'm saying is that Kepner deserves a man who will put a ring on her finger because that man loves her and can't live a life a without her—you deserve the same. If you feel that she's your _it _then by all means marry her but if you're not sure about what you feel and you're just doing it for the sake of the baby then I suggest that you wait or not go through it at all."

Jackson shifted closer to the sink and leaned on it; "What have I gotten myself into"

Mark patted Jackson's shoulder comfortingly; "Thing doesn't always work out like what we've planned and when that happens we just have to take it as it comes."

April placed her hand on her stomach as she staggers back from the O.R. door; she felt her throat constrict as inexplicable feeling settled inside her chest. Jackson was only offering marriage because it was the right thing to do and not because he actually wants to marry her. Well, to be fair—she's also not sure if she wants to marry him _yet _because it's too early and they're at the peak of their career but still, hearing him say it out loud didn't hurt any less. She took another step back and tried to swallow the bitter taste in her mouth; "You will not cry about this Kepner, you will not cry" she hissed to herself when she felt her eyes heating.

"APRIL!"

April quickly pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes before turning to her side; "Hey Mer, what's up?" she asked perkily.

Meredith stopped right in front of April and cocked her head to the side; she furrowed her brows and studied her face. "Are you alright?"

April manages to smile, albeit sadly; "Of course—just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I think" she lied.

Meredith threw her friend a sceptical look before pulling out a piece of paper from her pocket and wiggling it; "I just came from the lab, they paged me because they accidentally interchanged our results—err—my patient's results" she paused and wiggled the paper again, "This one is yours."

April furrowed her brows in confusion; "But-but that can't be right because I labelled mi—my patient's blood work as Jane Doe and the results they gave me last night is for Jane Doe" she explained.

"My patient's name is labelled as Jane Doe too—they caught the mishap because they labelled the test tubes and results with coloured ink. My Jane Doe is printed in grey ink and your Jane is printed in black, this one is black—meaning this is yours" Meredith explained.

April felt the air got knocked out of her chest; "I-I thought that they only ran out of black ink that's why mine was printed in grey" she said.

Meredith chuckled nervously; "So-where's the results?" she asked.

April swallowed hard before gesturing towards the paper that Meredith was holding; "May I?" she asked.

Meredith handed the paper to April; "Here you go" she replied.

April accepted the paper with shaky hands; she stared at the folded paper before stuffing it inside her pocket. "Your patient's result is in my locker in the Attendings' Lounge—we can get it now" she said.

Meredith smiled; "Let's go then, no time to waste" she said before spinning on her heels and walking away.

April experimentally moved her wobbling legs and let out a sigh of relief when she didn't topple over; she was about to walk away when the O.R. doors burst open, admitting Mark out. "Kepner?"

April smiled shakily at the Plastics Attending; "Dr. Sloan"

"Are you alright? You look pale—are you looking for Avery?" Mark asked while staring at the red head with concern.

April shook her head; "No I'm not—err—I have to go" she said before running towards the direction that Meredith disappeared to.

"Stop running and slow down!" Mark yelled.

"Who are you talking to?" Jackson asked as he steps out of the O.R.

Mark turned his head sideways; "Baby momma" he replied.

Jackson threw Mark a confused look; "Huh?"

Mark rolled his eyes; "Kepner—she was just here" he replied.

"Where did she go? Was she looking for me?" Jackson asked.

"She ran away even before I get to ask her but you go check on her, she looks really pale" Mark said.

Jackson felt his body stiffen; "Do you think she heard us?"

Mark's eyes widen; "I don't know" he replied.

Jackson swore loudly.

* * *

"_**I put you high up in the sky and now you're not coming down. It slowly turned, you let me burn and now we're ashes on the ground. Don't you ever say I just walked away, I will always want you. I can't live a lie, running for my life, I will always want you..."**_

* * *

"Here you go" April said as she handed Meredith a slightly crumpled paper. "I'm sorry if its bit crumpled—I kinda stuffed it inside my locker last night"

"It's alright" Meredith said. She then opened the paper and smiled when she saw the grey ink; she turned it towards April and pointed the writing; "See? The ink is color grey" she said.

"You're right" April said.

Meredith pulled the paper away and folded it; "Well, I better head out and have this delivered to my patient, you should too" she said before sauntering away.

April robotically walked towards the couch and sat down; she pulled the folded result from her pocket and placed it on her lap. She bit her bottom lip hard as she stares at the piece of paper; she placed her hands on her flat tummy and felt a pang in her chest. "I don't know how to feel about this, if I ended up having you—your daddy will just feel obligated to marry me and I don't think I'd want that. Do you think you and I can get through on our own? I don't think it'll be easy but we'll try—I'll try my hardest, just you and me" she whispered to herself. She kept her hands on her stomach but shifted her gaze to the paper on her lap; "If this paper says that you're not there, can I still go back to the way we were? Would I still want to keep seeing him after what I heard? He obviously doesn't know how to label his feelings for me, how can that work?" she asked herself again. She then pulled her hands away from her stomach and clutched the paper with her hands; "You have to stop talking to yourself like this, you sound crazy. Now, just get this over with so you know what to do, suck it up Kepner!"

"You're talking to yourself again"

April's head snapped up and saw Jackson standing by the door; "How long have you been there?" she asked.

"Long enough to hear you chastise yourself" Jackson replied. He then walked towards April and stood right in front of her; "Sloan said he caught you outside the O.R. door looking pale, were you looking for me?" he asked cautiously.

April felt a pinch inside her chest but she pushed it away; she swallowed hard and shook her head. "No I'm not—I was just passing by when he saw me" she lied.

Jackson studied April's face and furrowed his eyes; "Are you sure?" he asked.

"I'm sure" April replied. She then licked her lips and lifted the paper she's holding; "There—there has been an error with the lab results, Meredith's patient and my results got accidentally switched" she said softly.

Jackson's eyes widen; "Have you checked the results yet?" he asked.

"I'm about to"

Jackson moved towards the couch and sat down beside April; he angled himself so the he's facing the red head. "Go on"

April threw Jackson an indiscernible look; "Here we go"

Jackson noticed it but decided to ignore it; he scratched the back of his head and just focused his attention on the paper that will change their life-possibly forever.

April took a deep calming breath before opening up the result; she bit her bottom lip as she scan through it. "Not pregnant"

Jackson's face relaxed as he felt the heavy weight lifted from his chest but not without a pang of disappointment.

April saw Jackson's relieved look so she decided to put on a happy face like what she thought he would have wanted-he didn't want the kid and he doesn't need to marry her anymore; "Oh god, thank you Jesus! Now we don't have to get married" she said with a fake smile.

Jackson's head slowly turned towards April and saw her reaction; he felt a strange pinching feeling inside his chest but his ego is taking most of the brunt.

"We're free-we just-we just dodge a bullet, like the biggest bullet ever" April continued. She then lifted her gaze to the ceiling for effect; "Thank you, thank you, God. Thank you, thank you!"

Jackson averted his gaze and gritted his teeth.

April let out a sigh before turning her gaze back to her best friend; she immediately noticed the _look_ on his face and realized that she managed to offend him. She mentally swore and tried to rectify her blunder by back pedalling; "No, Jackson, no, I didn't mean-just, you know, now things don't have to- we could stay dating if that's what you want-"

"It's cool. Seriously, don't bother" Jackson said, cutting her off.

April heard alarm bells ringing loudly in her ears; he's still sporting the _look _that indicates he was indeed hurt—big time. "What? Jackson-"

"Maybe this was a sign, you know? That we needed to stop? Honestly, I think it's for the best."

April felt like she's been slapped so she averted her eyes quickly; "Okay, I-I mean, if that's what-"

"It is" Jackson interjected firmly.

April nodded and stood up from her perch; "I gotta go back to the pit, Hunt needs me there" she rasped out.

"Okay"

April bit her bottom lip hard to keep her emotions at bay as she walks towards the door; once she reached it, she pulled it open before turning her head back to Jackson. "Just for the record-I would have wanted to have what you've offered me when we thought I was pregnant-the wedding, the butterflies—but-but _**never**_ in the expense of your happiness" she paused to clear the lump that's lodged in her throat. "You are my best friend Jackson and I wouldn't have let you nor obligate you to marry me just for the sake of the baby. Mark is right, you deserve more than that and I do too, thank you for offering though—you were right it was the honourable thing to do at the moment and I appreciate the gesture none the less, I-I just thought you should know" she said with a sad smile. "I'll see you later" she added before finally stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her gently.

Jackson felt his whole body froze like it was dozed with ice cold water; April heard everything that they talked about. He closed his eyes tightly and buried his face into his palms; not only did he manage to dodge the unexpected fatherhood—he may have manage to push away the only woman he felt this much and lose her best friend along the way.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Dr. Kepner! Incoming Trauma in 5 minutes, patient with multiple GSW, alley mugging" The nurse announced as April entered the pit. She hastily walked towards the trauma cart and snatched herself a gown; "You're a doctor first in this hospital—push it back Kepner, suck it up" she said to herself as she shoved her arms inside the sleeves of the gown.

"I can take this for you, you still look rather pale" Alex said as he sidled up beside his friend, grabbing a trauma gown.

April turned her head sideways and threw Alex a small smile; "I'm fine Alex, thank you" she replied.

Alex pulled his gown on and began lacing it at the back; "If you say so and oh, I forgot to tell you. I already signed the papers for Mer's house, I'll be moving out of our apartment by the end of the week—you and Avery can finally have the apartment to yourselves, you're always boinking anyway" he finished with a smirk.

April's smile faltered; "Y—you're moving out?"

Alex nodded; "We're all grown up now—we're not in college, it's about time to step up and be a man" he said proudly.

"I see" April replied quietly.

Alex paused when he noticed April's reaction; "If the rent is what you're thinking about—I can continue paying up until you guys find a new roommate, hell—Avery can even pay it by himself"

April shook her head; "That won't be necessary—I think I can find my own apartment, thank you for offering though" she said.

Alex frowned; "You're moving out too? Why?"

April was about to respond but the E.R. doors burst open, admitting a gurney and frantic E.M.T's; _Saved by trauma_ she thought. She quickly bolted towards it before throwing the other surgeon a look; "What are you still doing there Alex? MOVE!" she barked.

Alex shook his head before following April's instructions.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"So you're telling me that the judge may throw his whole case out because I'm married to you?" Cristina asked.

"Yes."

Cristina shifted on her seat; "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

Owen took a deep breath and leaned forward on his desk; "I want you all to win this case, God knows how all of you suffered from this crash and it's only right that the people behind this negligence pay for it—including this hospital"

"But what about you?"

Owen let out a small smile; "Don't worry about me Cristina, I can handle myself" he replied.

Cristina gazed into Owens' eyes; "We—we fought so hard for this marriage to work only for it to fall apart in the end—I don't know what to say or to think" she admitted.

Owen gently gathered his wife's hand into his; "I know-but it's the only way I know how to rectify the mistake I made..."

"It's not your fault Owen, you didn't know that the plane would crash" Cristina said adamantly.

Owen bowed his head; "I should've done things differently—I should've looked into it first before sending you all there-it's partially my fault"

Cristina squeezed her husband's hand; "Do not blame yourself because none of us does"

Owen didn't answer but kept his head bowed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Meredith was sitting on the bed inside the on call room when Derek found her; her husband walked towards her and sat down. "Hi" he said.

Meredith smiled brightly as she leans forward, planting a chaste kiss on Derek's lips; "You and Callie already made a plan?"

"She already showed me some of her ideas but-"

"Let me guess, you shot it down even before she's able to finish?" Meredith asked with a raised brow.

Derek shoulders slumps.

Meredith stared at her husband directly; "Derek you should have your hands fixed" she said sternly.

Derek sighed dejectedly; "I know"

Meredith placed her hand on Derek's shoulders, squeezing it comfortingly; "Then let Callie do her work, stop acting like a petulant patient and have her at it. Callie is a brilliant surgeon, I know you know that—if anyone can restore your hands function at a 100% it would be her so just let her."

Derek gazed into Meredith's eyes for a moment before nodding; "Okay, fine" he relented.

Meredith smiled widely; "That's what I want to hear" she said before pulling Derek's face into hers, kissing him passionately.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I'll just prescribe some antibiotics that will help with the swelling for now but we really have to take your tonsils out" Mark said.

"Yes Dr. Sloan" Sadie nodded obediently.

Mark narrowed his eyes at his patient; "I don't have to explain the complications it will bring if we don't have that taken out right? Like it can lead to rheumatic heart disease that will-"

"I understand, geez! Don't go all crazy on me" Sadie replied.

Mark smiled; "Good, just reminding you. You've been postponing this surgery for ages, I almost died but your tonsils are still intact"

Sadie threw her doctor a sheepish look; "I promise to comeback for the procedure, next week"

Mark turned his head back to Jackson; "You heard that Avery, you are my witness" he said.

Jackson forced out a smile and just nodded.

Mark noticed his student's eerie quietness; he turned his gaze back to his patient and smiled. "I already got myself a witness so I'm fine with it. Now, I'll get your prescription ready and have one my residents bring it to you, sit tight and you'll have it a few minutes" he said kindly.

Sadie smiled; "Thank you Dr. Sloan" she said. She then shifted on the bed and peered behind Mark's back; "Dr. Avery" she added.

"Get well soon Sadie" Jackson said.

Mark gestured towards the other direction; "Got to go, see you next week" he said. He then turned towards Jackson; "Come on Avery, let's go" he said.

Jackson nodded at Sadie before following Mark.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was standing by the printer inside her old Chief Resident's office when Lexie saw her; the younger Grey moved towards the door and placed her hand on the door frame. "What are you printing?"

April turned her gaze towards the door and let out a small smile; "Hey Lex—just looking into some apartments that are nearby" she replied.

Lexie's eyes widen in surprise; "Why are you looking for an apartment? You already have one."

April shifted her eyes back to the printer and plucked the paper; "Alex is already moving out next week" she replied.

"I know but why do you need to move?"

April began perusing the details on the paper; "This doesn't have hard wood floors but it does have a washer-dryer, what do you think?" she asked, clearly evading the question.

Lexie narrowed her gaze and crossed her arms on top of her chest; "April, why are you moving?" she asked.

April lowered the paper and closed her eyes tightly; "Jackson and I-we broke up"

"What?!"

April turned her face back to Lexie and let out a pained smile; "It's not called breaking up because we were never really together in the first place, right? Can I call that a break up?" she mumbled.

Lexie furrowed her brows in concern as she walks towards the red head; "What happened Apes? I thought you guys were doing good—as in real good"

April let out a humorless laugh as tears began pooling in her eyes; "I thought so too—but things just don't work out that way. I guess—relationships don't come easy for me"

"I don't know what to say-I'm sorry" Lexie said sincerely.

"I will be okay—don't worry" April replied tearfully.

Lexie pulled the distraught surgeon into a tight hug; "I'm sorry that you're hurting Apes...I'm really sorry"

April buried her face into Lexie's shoulder as she let herself feel the gravity of what just happened; she felt a sob escaped her lips as tears kept flowing steadily.

Lexie sighed dejectedly as she began rubbing the red head's back soothingly, providing comfort the best way she knows how.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Derek made a bee line towards Callie's makeshift office; he sauntered inside and walked towards the desk, plucking Callie's research.

"Hey—hey! What are you doing? We're not done with that yet!" Callie said frantically.

Derek paused and threw Callie an appeasing smile; "We'll work on it" he said.

"But you're just gonna crap all over it again! I've been busting my ass here, losing sleep talking to surgeon's from Switzerland and you—you keep on fighting me every step of the way so just-"

"I'm sorry" Derek said cutting Callie's rant off.

Callie snapped her mouth close, staring at Derek with wide eyes, clearly not expecting an apology.

Derek threw Callie a sheepish look; "I know I've been a crappy patient—a _very _crappy patient to you and I'm sorry. You are right, you've been busting your ass off of this and I'm acting like an ungrateful idiot" he admitted. He then let out a small smile and wiggled the paper on his hand; "I promise not to fight you every step of the way—I'm handing the reins to you, fix me" he said.

Callie narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the Neuro Surgeon; "Mark didn't mention anything about Avery tackling you if you resist, right?"

Derek stared at Callie for a moment before letting out a full belly laugh.

Callie smiled widely upon seeing Derek's reaction.

"You plan to sic Avery on me if I refused your game plan again?" Derek asked with amusement.

Callie shrugged her shoulders, a smile never leaving her lips; "Well yeah—it's the only way to get you to listen" she replied.

"You, Calliope Torres are one in a million" Derek said.

"The hell I am."

* * *

oOo

* * *

Mark closed the door behind him and stared at Jackson; "Did something happen with Kepner? Is she alright?" he asked.

Jackson plopped down on the couch and stared at the floor pensively; "She's alright" he replied.

Mark sat beside his prot and threw him a confused look; "Then what's wrong? Is it Derek's surgery?"

Jackson shook his head; "No—Torres and I have a solid plan, Shepherd cannot crap all over it this time" he replied.

"That's good to hear but come on, what's really up with you? You're clearly out of your zone, something is wrong so just spit it out"

"There has been a mistake"

"What mistake?" Mark asked cautiously.

Jackson leaned forward and braised his elbows on top of his knees; "The lab messed up and gave April the wrong results—it was switched accidentally, she's not pregnant"

"Well I'll be damned!" Mark gasped. He then leaned back on the couch and stared at Jackson's back; "Wow-you just dodge the bullet that you've wanted to dodge" he said with amazement.

Jackson buried his face into his hands, clearly not happy.

Mark frowned and waited for the younger surgeon to explain further.

Jackson pulled his face away from his hands and turned his head sideways, looking at his mentor. "I didn't want the baby and yet I was disappointed when April told me that she was not pregnant, why?"

Mark took a deep breath; "Sometimes we think that we don't want something because we're afraid that if we admit it to ourselves that it's what really we want, it gets taken away. You got scared when you found out that you were having a baby but that doesn't mean you didn't want it and it will hurt less if it was taken away or if it isn't there."

"April also heard us talking, we broke up—no I broke up with her."

Mark's eyes widen in shock; "Why did you do that?"

Jackson sighed; "I wasn't really thinking when I blurted it out. I mean, she was acting so relieved when she saw the result—I got hurt so I reacted"

Mark frowned; "What are you gonna do about it? When are you planning to say sorry to her and get her back? You just told me you have _a lot _of feelings for her"

"That's the thing...I don't think we should still pursue it"

"What do you mean by that? You're ditching her for real?"

Jackson clasped his hands together, resting his chin on top of it; "I think it's for the best. I can't lose her man—she's my best friend, if pursuing this feelings mean I will lose her in the end then I'd rather not..."

"So you're taking the easy way out? You're choosing to bail?" Mark asked with a raised brow.

Jackson sighed; "If bailing means keeping her then yes, I'm bailing."

Mark shook his head, clearly disappointed with Jackson's decision; "Let's just hope that you didn't lose her when you made that decision."

* * *

"_**I never meant to start a war, I just wanted you to let me in and instead of using force, I guess I should've let you win..."**_

* * *

"So you're telling me that you and Owen will have to file a divorce so we can win this case?" Meredith asked with a frown.

Cristina sighed; "Yes."

"How do you feel about that? I sure there are other ways-"

"No there isn't" Cristina replied, cutting Meredith off. She then began rubbing her temples trying hard to fight the incoming headache; "We already talked and we already decided-we both think it's for the best."

Meredith let out a sigh; "It's still not right that you're being forced to do this because of that stupid case" she said.

"It's not solely for the case Mer and you and I both know it. Owen is a good man—a family type of man, a man who needs kids and a wife to completely make him happy. I on the other hand don't want kids, it's a clear conflict of interest. The more we pretend that we are okay the more damage it will cause us both" Cristina explained. She then let out a defeated sigh and closed her eyes; "I love him but I don't think that will ever be enough" she admitted forlornly.

Meredith pressed her lips together tightly and just grasped her person's hands in hers, comforting her the best way she knows how.

Cristina let out another defeated sigh.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was fixing her things when Jackson entered the lounge; "Hey" he greeted awkwardly.

April zipped her bag before letting out a tight lipped smile as a response; she then hefted her bag from the table and began walking towards the door. She pulled it open but paused midway; "Alex is moving out of the apartment by the end of this week, did he tell you?" she asked quietly.

Jackson swallowed hard and cleared his throat; "Uh-yeah, he told me last night."

April tightened her hold on the strap of her bag; "I-I already found an apartment nearby and I'm planning on moving out next week..."

"April-you don't have to leave-"

"I have to" April said, cutting Jackson off. "I-I can't stay with you if we're gonna try to be just friends again, you know that already."

Jackson let out a defeated sigh before slumping down the couch; "Are we gonna be like this all the time?"

"What do you mean?" April asked.

Jackson gestured between the space between them; "This-the awkwardness between us..."

April stared at Jackson for a moment; "I guess it will be like this for now-I mean we just broke up" she paused and wrinkled her nose. "Oh we can't break up because we never even made it to that point" she corrected herself with an awkward chuckle.

"April..." Jackson pleaded.

April squared her shoulders and let out a smile; "It's the truth Jackson let's not sugar-coat the reality" she replied tiredly. She then tugged on her bag and gestured towards the hallway; "Well I'll be on my way, have a good night" she said before slipping outside the door and closing it behind her.

Jackson stared at the door for a moment before collapsing back on the couch; "Looks like you lost her after all...fuck!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was nursing his whiskey with a deep frown on his face; he was upset with April's reaction and decision. He knows he's at fault too but moving out? She's practically running away from him and her way of saying that this may not fixed at all. Yes, he knows that they have a track record of not being able to keep their hands to their selves, especially when he still has strong lingering feelings for her but he thinks her move is a little drastic, even with their situation.

"You look like crap" Alex said as he pulls a chair beside his friend.

Jackson lifted his glass and began looking at it; "Yeah, that's about right"

Alex flagged the bartender and asked for a beer; "So, uh-Kepner's knocked up?" he asked.

Jackson paused and turned towards Alex in shock.

Alex placed his hands on top of the counter and met Jackson's gaze; "I mean, she was acting a little weirder than usual, Lexie drew her blood and she had this preposterous idea to cover it up with anemia screening" he explained.

Jackson shifted his gaze back to his drink; "Well, not that it's any of your business but no, she's not knocked up" he said before taking a huge gulp of his drink

"That sounds like something to drink to" Alex said, clearly relieved for his friend.

Jackson's head snapped towards Alex and glared at him; "No more calling her weird" he warned.

Alex grimaced; "She is"

"Yeah, I know-just-you're not allowed to say it."

Alex nodded; "Fine. So—like I told you last night, I'm moving out by the end of the week. I spoke with Kepner and it seems like she's planning to move out too, what are your plans? Are you keeping the apartment and find new roommates or are you leaving as well?'

Jackson emptied his glass and gestured for the bartender to give him another one; "I don't know—I don't want to think about it" he said glumly.

Alex studied Jackson's face; "Something tells me that this is more than Kepner being pregnant—did you guys break up?" he asked perceptively.

Jackson ignored Alex's question and just took a large gulp of his whiskey.

Alex rolled his eyes; "That answers my question then" he mumbled to himself. He then plucked his beer from the counter and took a sip of his drink; "Love is for losers" he concluded.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April closed the door to her room and locked it; she tiredly walked towards her bed and crawled up. She burrowed under the covers and stared at the ceiling; it's over—they're over, Jackson finally ended whatever it is between them and it hurts like hell. She turned to her side and clutched her comforter to her chest tightly; she closed her eyes and almost instantly tears trailed down her cheeks. "Why do you keep crying April—are you falling in love with him?" she asked herself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You're gonna tell him tonight?" Lexie asked excitedly.

Meredith smiled nervously; "Yes I am—do you think the shirt is a good idea?"

Lexie leaned forward and squeezed her sister's arm comfortingly; "The shirt is a wonderful idea" she replied.

Meredith took a deep breath before standing up from her sister's bed; "I better head down, he'll be here any second now" she said.

Lexie smiled widely; "I just heard his car pulling up the driveway, you better go down now" she said.

"Wish me luck Lex!" Meredith said before yanking the door open and stepping out.

Lexie laughed; "It's not that you need any but good luck!"

Derek just entered the front door when Meredith rounded the corner; "Hey" Derek said.

Meredith walked towards her husband and planted a kiss on his lips; "Hey you" she replied.

Derek smiled; "I spoke to Clements before I left, he sent your grabby patient to Seattle Press, he didn't want to operate" he said.

Meredith pulled away from Derek and walked towards the couches; "I told you he didn't have the balls" she huffed. She then plopped down and stared at Derek nervously; "I bought Zola a new shirt I think I left it on the breakfast bar, can you check it to see if she will like it"

"Okay" Derek replied as he walks towards the kitchen. "Where's our princess by the way?" he asked.

"I already put her to bed, she's sleeping like an angel" Meredith replied.

"Lexie?"

"She's in her room reading the novel your patient wrote"

Derek laughed; "She's still reading that?"

"She is, did you find it?" Meredith asked as she fidgeted in her seat.

"Yeah—Here it is"

Meredith bit her bottom lip as she waited for her husband's reaction.

Derek rounded the corner with his eyes wide in shock; he lifted the tiny pink shirt that says _World's Best Big Sister _in his hands.

Meredith stood from her perch and smiled widely; "It's only 3 weeks so I shouldn't be telling you. I mean, I still have a hostile uterus and terrible things are constantly happening to us which is why I only told my sister because she accidentally found out, she's so nosy but I haven't told Cristina yet—so please don't tell anyone else because if you do, I swear I'll kick you out of this house that you built."

Derek hastily walked towards his wife with a huge smile; "Don't worry I won't and good things happens to us like we're gonna have another baby" he said. He then pulled his wife to his chest and kissed her affectionately.

Meredith wrapped her arms around Derek's neck and returned his kisses; after a couple of seconds she pulled away and grinned happily. "We're gonna have another baby"

Derek pulled Meredith into a tight hug and lifted her from the floor; "Another baby!" he chortled jovially.

Meredith laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

The next day, April woke up an hour earlier than her usual just to get ready for work; she didn't want to experience an awkward run in with Jackson so she made sure that she's all packed and ready to go to even before he woke up. She was shrugging on her jacket when she heard a door being opened; she hastily grabbed her bag from the breakfast bar and began creeping towards the living room as quietly as she can, she was in the process of unlocking the front door when she heard someone clearing his throat behind her, making her stiffen.

"Why are you skulking there like a thief?"

April let out a relieved breath when she recognized the voice; she turned around and smiled widely at Alex. "Good morning, you're early today"

Alex blinked a couple times; "Where are you going at this hour? It's still early" he said after yawning.

"I'm on my way to the hospital-err—I'm on lumps and bumps duty today so I need a head start" April explained.

Alex wrinkled his nose; "That sucks" he said. He then narrowed his eyes; "You're not sneaking out because you're avoiding Avery, right?" he asked.

April let out a nervous chuckle; "Why would I avoid Jackson? You're being silly" she lied.

Alex crossed his arms on top of his chest and stared at April seriously; "I know that whatever it is between you two is over—"

"He told you?" April asked in shock, cutting her friend of mid sentence.

"He didn't tell me on purpose, I ran into him at Joe's, drinking himself to stupor—again" Alex explained.

April bit her bottom lip as she digests Alex's word, after a couple of seconds she spoke again. "Maybe he's celebrating?"

Alex rolled his eyes; "He looked like crap, a man celebrating a break up doesn't look that way."

April tightened her hold on the strap of her bag; "He—he was the one who wanted to end it, I don't understand why he would feel bad about it..."

Alex stared at April; "Look I'm only telling you this once so you better listen carefully, can you do that?"

"Yeah—sure"

Alex scratched his chin, clearly uncomfortable; "Sometimes guys says things that we don't really mean-especially if we feel that we've been backed into the corner. We take things literally-we base our reaction from the other party, whatever reaction you gave out the other night triggered a reaction resulting to Avery breaking up with you but that doesn't mean he means it."

April didn't respond, she just blinked a couple of times.

Alex sighed in exasperation; "All I'm trying to say is that a guy who drinks himself to stupor and looks like crap doesn't look like a guy who wants to end things. I'm not saying that you two should get back together and start boinking again because it's not my place to tell you these things, but if you can set aside your crazies and he's willing to swallow his huge pride then talk it out. As much as it pains me to admit this, you two are my friends and I don't want to leave this place knowing that you had fallen apart and I didn't do anything about it."

April let out a small smile; "We're your friends?"

Alex rolled his eyes for the second time; "We've been living together for almost a year, we've worked together even longer than that, if I didn't treat you guys friends do you think I'd agree moving in with you?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm.

April giggled; "Just checking"

"Just think about what I said so you don't have to sneak in and out of this place like a common thief, man up Kepner"

April pulled the door open; "I can't man up because I'm not a man but I'll definitely think about it, thank you Alex" she said.

Alex waived his hand dismissively; "Whatever, drive safely" he said before making his way to the kitchen.

April stepped out of the apartment and closed the door behind her; "I really didn't think he'd care" she said to herself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Alex was pouring himself coffee when Jackson entered the kitchen clutching his head in his hands; "Hang over is bitch" Jackson groaned.

Alex chuckled; "Only fair, you were a bitch last night" he teased.

Jackson narrowed his eyes at the other man; "Funny" he said sarcastically.

Alex smirked; "I'm not trying to be funny" he quipped.

Jackson walked towards the cupboards and grabbed himself a cup; he then moved towards the counter and poured himself coffee.

"So—I caught April sneaking out of the apartment this morning, looks like she's trying to avoid you because she left quite early"

Jackson frowned; "What do you mean sneaking?" he asked before taking a sip.

"She was creeping towards the front door and trying her best to look inconspicuous" Alex explained.

Jackson shifted his eyes away from Alex and just fixed it on his cup; "I see"

Alex studied the other man's demeanor before standing up his perch; "Talk to her man, we both know you feel like crap for ending things with her" he said before walking away.

"It's not that easy!" Jackson snapped.

Alex paused and turned his face towards Jackson; "Nothing worth having is easy, think about that" he said before continuing his trek.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April sauntered inside the pit and saw her mentor standing by the nurses' station; she pasted a smile on her face before approaching him. "Good morning Chief" she greeted.

Owen took his eyes off his charts and turned towards April; "Morning Kepner, you're early"

"I woke up early so I decided to come in. I'm just reminding you that I'm not handling the pit today because I've been rotated to do Outpatient Procedures—lumps and bumps day for me"

Owen scrunched his face; "Sorry about that—just make sure that you finish them all today so you wouldn't have to be stuck doing it again tomorrow okay? Rally on soldier!" he finished with enthusiasm.

April chuckled; "Will do Chief" she replied. "Err—do you know who's on my service today? It's not yet posted"

Owen furrowed his brows while in thought; "I think you have Ross today, if I'm not mistaken but you can check with him, a schedule has been sent to the interns last night, they'll know which service they are under" he said.

April nodded; "Okay—I'll just go ahead and see if he's already in, thank you Chief" she said perkily.

Owen nodded in acknowledgement.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Who do you guys have?" Stephanie asked as she pulls her scrub top on.

"I'm with Kepner today, we're doing Outpatient procedures" Shane said proudly.

Jo wrinkled her nose; "Why are you so happy about that? She's "_The Dud" _you know"

"Hey! Don't call her that! I like Dr. Kepner, she's the only Attending in this hospital who actually takes the time to teach" Shane retorted, defending the Trauma Surgeon.

Jo just rolled her eyes in response.

"I'm with _Medusa_ today, we're handling the pit, anyone who wants to switch?" Heather asked hopefully.

"No thank you" Jo replied before walking away.

Shane didn't even bother with a response and just left.

Stephanie patted Heather at the shoulder comfortingly; "Good luck" she said before making her escape.

Heather closed her locker door and followed her friends.

April stepped out of her hiding place and braised her hands on her hips; she narrowed her eyes at the spot where the interns stood before huffing. "Let's see if you'll still call me _The Dud _after today" she said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You look like crap, Torres is looking for you" Mark said as he saw Jackson walking towards him.

Jackson ignored Mark's comment; "Where is she?" he asked.

Mark pointed towards Callie's makeshift office; "She's there talking to Derek" he replied.

Jackson nodded and made his way towards the room.

"So—we'll have the surgery scheduled by tomorrow, we just need to find an intern to scrub in with us—we'll need extra hands" Callie said.

"Sounds good" Derek replied while looking through his treatment plan.

Jackson leaned on the doorframe; "Looks like I don't need to do anything" he said with a tired smile.

Derek turned his gaze towards his best friend's prot; "I heard Callie employed you to tackle me" he said with an amused smirk.

Jackson shrugged his shoulders; "If that's the only way to make you listen, I'm all for it" he replied.

Derek chuckled; "You found yourself a keeper here Torres"

Callie rolled her eyes; "Don't let Mark hear you say that" she said.

Jackson pulled away from his perch and stuffed his hands inside his lab coat pocket; "I heard that we'll be doing the surgery tomorrow—already found an intern yet?" he asked.

"Nope but we'll find someone today, the lucky bird will get the chance to scrub in with us" Callie said.

"Alright, just page me if we need to do the picking—I need to run some post ops" Jackson said.

Callie nodded; "Okay—shoo!"

Jackson spun on his heels and began walking away.

"That was fast" Mark observed when he saw Jackson walking back towards him.

"I didn't need to tackle Shepherd, he's quite amenable today"

"That's good to hear. You running some post ops now or-?"

Jackson leaned towards the nurses' station and grabbed his charts; "Yeah—I'll see you later" he said before walking away.

Mark cocked his head to the side; "Sulky puppy" he concluded.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Where the hell have you been?"

Shane ran towards the nurses' station; "I'm sorry Dr. Kepner I was running-"

"Stop talking, I'm not asking you to explain" April snapped. She then grabbed the charts from the counter and pushed it towards the intern; "Sort this out based from the severity of the condition, I trust you can do that?"

Shane accepted the charts; "Of course Dr. Kepner"

"We are fully packed now, we have to get through them all so no slacking, do you understand me?"

"Yes Dr. Kepner"

April raised her brow; "Why are you still standing there? Get to work!" she barked.

Shane hastily spun on his heels and began walking towards the waiting room.

April let out a small smirk.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was just exiting his patient's room when his pager went off; he tucked his chart under his armpit and pulled his pager out. He read the message and groaned; "Great! Just what I needed" he grumbled. He stormed towards the nurses' station and placed his charts on the counter; "Make sure to monitor Mr Myers wound, page me as soon as you notice any discoloration on his arm, okay?"

"Yes Dr. Avery" The nurse replied.

"Thanks!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

April felt the breakfast she just ate making its way up to her throat; Shane was not kidding, that patient has the most disgusting butt scab she had ever seen in her entire career and it's making her gag—big time. She placed her hands on her lips when she felt another wave hit her; she hastily jogged along the hallway, desperate to find the nearest ladies room. She was about to round the corner when she bumped into someone; "Sorry!" she croaked without looking up.

Jackson automatically braised his hands on April's shoulder; "April"

April's head snapped up, hands still clasped tightly to her mouth; she felt her gag reflex act again when butterflies started storming inside her stomach upon seeing Jackson.

"Are you okay?" Jackson asked with concern.

April swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth and stood straighter; when she's sure that she won't be puking, she let her hands fall limp to her side. "I'm okay" she replied.

Jackson pulled his hands away; "Why do you look like you're ready to hurl?"

April wrinkled her nose; "We—we have a patient and she has the most disgusting butt scab I've ever seen in my entire career, its awful" she rasped out.

Jackson stared at her for a couple of seconds before laughing.

April felt the corner of her lips lifting up on its own accord and before she realizes she's laughing along side with Jackson-just like the old times.

Jackson smiled; "This feels good" he admitted.

"What?" April asked, clearly confused with his statement.

"Laughing with you again—just like the old times" Jackson replied.

"Yeah—I know"

Jackson shifted in his feet and stuffed his hands inside his lab coat pockets; "I don't want to lose you April" he blurted out.

April bit her bottom lip as she stares quietly at Jackson.

Jackson threw April a pleading look; "I know that we need time to sort things and I kinda understand why you have to move out but please don't shut me out and avoid me...I-I don't think I can handle that..." he said, his voice bordering desperation.

April felt a twinge inside her chest watching him like this; she reached for his arm and squeezed it comfortingly; "You won't lose me Jackson—I promise you that, but you have to give me time- us time."

Jackson placed his hand on top of hers; "I can do that but—but you promise?" he asked while starting straight into April's eyes.

April let out a small smile; "I promise, me and you will be alright."

Jackson smiled back; "Me and you" he echoed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

_**A/N: Whoa! I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written—like seriously! LOL I have read all your reviews and you guys are AWESOME! I'm definitely taking into consideration all of your suggestions and I will try my best to incorporate it in my next chapter, I can't apply much in this since most of the scenarios here is kinda ingrained in my head and it won't budge no matter what I do! Hahahaha! I miss Mark and Lexie so much so most of the scene includes them, I think things would have gone differently for Jackson & April if Mark didn't die, don't you think? He'll be hovering around Jackson pestering him to man up and say his feelings out loud-that would have been fun and interesting, I think. Well I'll leave you all to it, don't forget to review! And oh—next chappy is currently being written, just give me a couple of days to get it together—just to give you a peek, next title will be Little too much. ^_^ Again, you guys are AWESOME, keep your reviews coming so I'll know what to change! Cheers!**_

_**P.S: Sorry for the grammar lapses and all the errors, English is not my native language & I don't have a BETA reader so I'm just trying to ace it, Teeheeeheeee! Cheers! ^_^**_


	6. Little too much

**Chapter Six: Little too much**

* * *

"_**Sometimes it hits like a car crash and it's too late to reverse. Sometimes you make me a better person, sometimes you bring out the worst. Sometimes we get on like fire, sometimes we're stubborn like rain. Just when I think it's over, you wave a white flag again..."**_

* * *

It has been a couple of days since their last talk and Jackson is getting a little bit worked up; April will be moving out of their apartment tomorrow and he's still trying his best to digest the fact that he won't be living with her anymore. Truth be told, he's never new to the concept of living on his own; he's been doing that for the past years ever since he graduated from Med school and shifted himself to a different state, what really bothers him though-is the fact that his red head best friend will be living alone in her apartment. April is a very independent woman and he knows that she can very much fend for herself but a part of him still worries for her because this will be the first time she'll be on her own after the shooting—after losing their best friends. It may have been a year ago and things has changed but regardless of how screwed up their relationship is right now, he can't help but be a little more protective of her; she's all he has ever left, after all.

"Have you found yourself a new apartment?"

Jackson tore his eyes away from his chart and turned around; "Yeah—I'll be moving in this weekend" he replied.

Alex placed his hands on his hips; "I really don't get why you two have to move out, I mean, it's easier finding a new roommate rather than taking your stuff out" he said.

Jackson sighed; "It's what April wants and I think it's for the best too" he replied.

Alex rolled his eyes; "Yeah right, we both know how excited you are to get rid of her" he said with a hint of sarcasm.

Jackson glared at his friend as a response.

"Are you terrorizing my boy again Karev?"

Alex spun around and saw the other part of the Plastic Posses standing behind him; "I'm not, just giving him something to think about"

"If I wasn't able to put sense into his pretty head I doubt that you can. Now scoot, Robbins is looking for you"

Alex furrowed his brows; "But I just-"

Mark stood straight; "No buts Karev—get your ass to Ped's now!" he barked.

Alex wrinkled his nose in distaste; "Geez! If you want to spend quality time with your boyfriend all you have to do is say so, no need to bark like a mad dog!" he said before scampering away.

Mark narrowed his eyes at the Ped's Fellow; "He's talking about me barking but that's exactly what he's doing just now" he grumbled.

Jackson shook his head before turning his gaze back to his work; "Did you need something?" he asked.

Mark walked towards the nurses' station and leaned on the counter; "So-Bailey's wedding is coming up, you planning on bringing a date?" he asked.

Jackson paused and lifted his gaze to his ever nosey mentor; "Are you really asking me that question?" he deadpanned.

Mark shrugged his shoulders; "It's a good question and it definitely needs to be asked. I mean—most of us will be attending in pairs like me and Lexie, Robbins and Torres, Yang and Hunt—Meredith may have to go solo because Derek will be in recovery so-"

"What's wrong with going solo?"

"It's a _wedding_, everything will be _romantic _you know—there will be Christmas lights, love songs will be playing constantly and love will definitely be in the air" Mark said with a wistful smile.

Jackson wrinkled his nose in distaste; "Karev will go stag so I think I'll just go with him" he replied.

Mark scoffed; "So you'd rather spend a romantic evening with Karev?"

Jackson shifted his gaze back to his notes and began writing again; "Yeah" he replied.

Fine, be that way" Mark said. He then straightened his pose and stuffed his hands inside his lab coat pockets; "I have a consult at the pit, do you want to tag along?" he asked.

"Err—you go on ahead, I have to finish this"

Mark rolled his eyes before stomping away.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"-if you want to go out for coffee, I mean not now but once you're not busy"

April bit her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing; she shifted her gaze back to Stephanie who's smiling widely at her, amusement clearly written on the intern's face. She was about to open her mouth to respond but was cut off when she felt an arm being wrapped around her shoulders.

"So—I have already checked on your patient and the good news is that he won't have to lose any of his fingers, I can have that attached in no time" Mark said with a large grin.

April turned her head to the side and threw the Plastics Attending a weird look; "O—okay, that's good to hear."

Mark turned his gaze to the nervous EMT standing right in front of them; "Is there something else you need?" he asked.

The EMT stared at the two doctors back and forth before clearing his throat; "Err—no, I better head out, so many patients to save, too little time" he said with an awkward laugh. He then spun on his heels before scurrying towards the E.R. doors without a back glance.

"What's wrong with him?" Mark asked, feigning innocence.

"I'm not sure" April replied, her cheeks burning red. She then gently shifted away from Mark and gestured towards her patient's bed; "I'll just go check on him" she said before walking away.

Mark stared at April's flushed form before shifting his gaze towards the intern sitting behind the nurses' station; "Edwards, right?"

Stephanie shot up from her chair; "Y—yes Dr. Sloan, is there anything I can do for you?" she asked nervously.

Mark moved closer to the counter and braised his elbows on top; "You've been sitting there for awhile now right?" he asked.

"Y-yes sir"

Mark clasped his hands together and rested his chin on top of it; "Do you know the name of the EMT that's making googly eyes at Dr. Kepner?" he asked.

Stephanie swallowed hard; "Err-I think its Matthew Taylor sir, he-he introduced himself a couple of minutes ago."

Mark raised his brow; "Really? Do you know why?" he asked.

"He-he told Dr. Kepner that he's been watching her for awhile now and he think that she's awesome with what she does-"

Mark scoffed when he heard the paramedics not to subtle _moves_; "Continue"

"And—and he ask her out for coffee" Stephanie finished.

Mark narrowed his eyes; "Did she say yes?"

"No-she was about to answer when you walked in sir" Stephanie replied.

Mark pulled away from the counter and thumped it with both hands in triumph; "Excellent, thank you Edwards" he said with a large grin. He spun on his heels and began walking away, whistling somewhat happily.

Stephanie watched Mark's back confusedly; "What did just happen?" she asked herself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"So-will you be attending the wedding with Owen or will you be coming with me?" Meredith asked.

"Suction Brooks" Cristina instructed her intern. She then shifted her eyes to Meredith; "I don't know if I'm coming" she replied.

Meredith shifted her eyes away from the patient and met Cristina's eyes; "You are aware that its Bailey's wedding and she'll murder you if you don't go, right?"

Cristina moved her eyes back to her work; "I don't know—I mean, I'll be signing those stupid papers on the same day—I don't think it's appropriate" she replied.

Meredith sighed; "I understand but if you ever change your mind you can always go with me" she said.

"I'll keep you posted" Cristina replied.

Meredith turned towards the nurse; "More mesh please"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I heard" Lexie said with a smirk.

April placed her tray on top of the table and sat down; "Heard what?" she asked.

"That someone is making googly eyes at you" Alex said with amusement.

April felt her cheeks heating up with embarrassment; "I don't know what you're talking about" she said, clearly flustered.

Lexie threw Alex a conspiring look; "Who is he? What does he look like?"

"Yeah—tell us" Alex cajoled.

April plucked her fork from the tray and began mixing her spaghetti; "I still don't know what you're talking about" she lied.

Lexie shifted closer to April and bumped her shoulder to hers; "Come on April, Mark already told me so don't go lying to us"

April let her eyes fall on her friends, studying their faces; "You guys are not gonna let this go are you?" she asked with a defeated sigh.

Alex smirked widely; "Start talking"

"It's really nothing—Mark probably exaggerated his story. He's the tall paramedic that often rides with Nicole—the one you often stare at" April paused and threw Alex and stern look.

"Don't look at me like that! I'm just admiring her asset—she has a nice ass" Alex said defensively.

"Really Alex?" Lexie said with disgust.

"Whatever" Alex said. He then shifted his eyes back to April; "The tall dorky guy?" he asked.

"He is not dorky—he's actually kinda cute" April said thoughtfully.

"Oh no-she actually likes the dorky paramedic" Alex teased.

Lexie's eyes widen; "You really like him April? Like really like?"

April averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing a tad redder; "I don't like—_like _him, I just think he's cute"

"So—what happened next?" Alex asked with interest.

"He—he asked me out for coffee. He told me that he's been watching me for quite some time and he thinks I'm awesome"

"Creeper" Alex grumbled.

"Will you go out with him?" Lexie asked.

April began pushing her food around the plate; "I don't know" she replied sheepishly.

"What do you mean you don't know? He asked you, what did you tell him?" Alex asked before stuffing his mouth with fries.

"I wasn't able to answer because Mark suddenly appeared beside me"

Lexie laughed.

"He's really taking the Plastic Posses seriously" Alex said thoughtfully.

April narrowed her eyes at Alex; "What do you mean by that?"

Alex shrugged his shoulders; "Nothing."

April opened her mouth to question Alex further but Lexie cut her off; "So it's Bailey's wedding this coming weekend, do you have a dress already?" she asked, changing the topic.

April's eyes widen; "Oh God! You're right! I don't know what to wear yet! I don't think I brought dresses with me when I moved back here"

Lexie plucked her juice from the table and took a sip; "Then buy yourself a new one" she suggested.

"But I don't have time! Today is Thursday and I'll be moving out tomorrow, Bailey's wedding is on Saturday!"

Alex rolled his eyes; "Just wear something you already have—no need to shop, it's just for one night"

"Alex is right or if you want I can lend you a dress—" Lexie paused and gave April's body a quick scan. "Err—it will fit you but it will be longer on you"

Alex snickered; "It will look like a long gown on her, she's so tiny" he teased.

April leaned forward and smacked Alex's arm; "I'm here you know! And I'm not that short!" she said with full indignation.

Alex brushed off April's reaction and just plucks himself a fry; "It wouldn't matter what you wear anyway, Avery will still find you attractive—even if you end up wearing a flour sack"

"I'm not—how can you—we're not—"

"Stuttering! A sure sign that she's thinking along the lines you mentioned Alex" Lexie said with a smirk.

April opened her mouth to speak again but she can't seem to form anything intelligible; she shot up from her perch grabbed her tray, leaving without another word.

Alex and Lexie met each other's gaze before bursting into laughter.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Ross will be scrubbing in on Dr. Shepherd's surgery, you all can go" Callie announced.

Derek watched as the interns started exiting the room; "I never expected that he'd be the one to actually treat me as a patient—he almost sounded like Kepner there" he observed.

"He's been working with April at the pit, she might have taught him a thing or two" Jackson said proudly.

Callie smirked as she watches the Plastic Fellow brag about his best friend; "Someone is still carrying a burning torch here" she teased.

Jackson threw Callie a dirty look, clearly not impressed with her teasing.

Derek chuckled; "Well torch or not, Kepner did good" he said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Dr. Kepner!"

April halted in her steps and turned around; she did a double take before letting out a small smile. "Matthew, right?"

Matthew stopped right in front of April while scratching the back of his head nervously; "Y-yeah" he replied.

"Is there something you need?" April asked kindly.

"I—I just wanted to ask you know—about the coffee?"

April's eyes widen in surprise; "Oh" she gasped.

Matthew let his hand fall limp to his side as he stares at April expectantly.

April felt her cheeks flushing with the intensity of Matthew's gaze; she shifted in her feet and stuffed her hands inside her pockets. "I'm quite busy as of the moment—I'm midway through my shift"

"It—it doesn't have to be right now, I mean—we can do it some other time—the coffee, I mean" Matthew said, his cheeks pinking in embarrassment.

April eyed Matthew for a couple of seconds; _he's kinda cute and I think he likes me—should I have coffee with him? It doesn't have to mean anything" _she thought. She then let out a deep breath before smiling; "Sure—I'll let you know once I'm available" she said.

Matthew's eyes widen in shock; "R—really?"

"Why will you ask me if you thought I'd say no?" April teased.

Matthew chuckled, albeit embarrassedly; he took his phone from his pocket and began fiddling with it with his shaking hands. "Can—can I get your number?"

"Sure" April replied. She walked closer to the paramedic and proffered her hand; "May I?"

Matthew let out a sheepish smile while handing his phone.

April accepted the phone saved her number; she handed the phone back to Matthew and stuffed her hands inside her lab coat pockets again. "Send me text so I'll know it's you"

Matthew hastily pocketed his phone; "I will" he replied.

"Is there anything else? My lunch is over—I need to get back to the pit"

Matthew shook his head; "No—I'm sorry if I took much of your time"

"It's alright, I guess I'll just see you around then, bye Matthew!" April said before walking away.

"Bye Dr. Kepner" Matthew said.

April paused and turned her head towards Matthew; "We're having coffee—call me April" she said with a smile.

Matthew grinned widely; "Okay, bye April!" he said.

April laughed before continuing her way back to the pit.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Are you actually teaching or are you just reading that smutty novel the whole day?"

Lexie tore her eyes away from her book; "I sent my interns to help asses like yours, I'm a free agent that's why I'm reading" she retorted.

Jackson stepped inside the skills lab carrying a bag of chips and soda in his hands; he walked to an empty work table and placed it on top.

"Is that your lunch?" Lexie asked while eyeing the food.

Jackson pulled a chair and sat down; "Yeah" replied.

"Err—why are you eating here again?"

Jackson grabbed his chips and opened it; "It's boring eating alone" he said before popping a couple of pieces in his mouth.

Lexie dog-eared her novel and closed it; "Well you didn't have to eat alone if you only showed up during lunch time. We were waiting for you, Alex and I—even April showed up"

"April was there?"

"Yeah but she ran away after sitting with us after a couple of minutes"

Jackson swallowed his food; "What did you guys do?" he asked.

Lexie placed her novel on top of her desk before leaning back on her swivel chair; "I'll tell you something because it won't stay under the wraps for long—knowing my fiancé, he's probably haunting you down now with this latest gossip, new news makes him giddy like a school little girl."

Jackson chuckled; "A giddy school girl?"

Lexie giggled; "Don't tell him I said that"

Jackson grinned; "I won't. So—tell me, what made Mark giddy like a school girl?"

Lexie cleared her throat; "Err—you know Nicole right? The paramedic with-"

"—A good set of ass, yes I know her"

Lexie scoffed; "You and Alex are the same! I can't believe you had time to stare at her ass!"

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Let's not get side tracked, what's with her?"

"Do you remember the tall paramedic that she always rides with?"

"Err-should I?" Jackson asked before taking a sip of his soda.

"You should because he just asked April out for coffee"

Jackson coughed violently when he felt his drink go down the wrong pipe; "W-what?" he sputtered.

Lexie grimaced; "Sorry—I should have waited for you to swallow your soda before I—"

"What? Why? When?" Jackson fired out his questions as he wipes his nose with his hand.

"Just this morning, Mark told me he caught the EMT making googly eyes at April and Edwards did confirm that he did ask April out"

Jackson scowled; "He's the dorky and lanky guy! I remember him!"

"Wow—you're harsher than Alex" Lexie observed.

Jackson shot up from his chair and began pacing, his lunch completely forgotten; "I can't believe it! He's an asshole! I don't—wait, what did April say? Is she going out with him?"

Lexie rolled his eyes upon remembering her fiancé's antics; "You have to thank Mark for that, he purposely interrupted them even before April was able to answer."

Jackson paused and smirked; "I owe that man a drink."

Lexie shook his head; "He's taking this Plastics Posses thing to heart, I'm sure he did that for you."

Jackson snatched his soda from the table and began walking towards the door; "See you later Lex!" he said as he pulls the door open.

"You left your chips!"

Jackson stepped out; "You can have it, I need to find someone!" he replied.

"You're only finding Mark! Come back here!"

Jackson ignored his friend's protest and closed the door behind him soundly.

Lexie let out a small smile as she leans back on her chair.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"There's too much bleeding, I have to get in there to find the source" April said as she works frantically around her patient. "Page General and Plastics, we're moving this patient to O.R. 2"

"Right away Dr. Kepner" The nurse replied.

April yanked up the side railing and shifted her gaze to her intern; "I trust you know how to suction?"

"Yes" Shane replied.

"Good, you're scrubbing in this surgery" April said.

Shane's eyes widen in shock.

"Don't just there! Help me move the patient so we can save her life!" April barked.

Shane quickly yanked the other side railing and began pushing the gurney.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Hey man, I've been looking for you"

Mark stuffed the phone inside his pocket; "Err—why?"

Jackson stood right in front of Mark and threw the older surgeon a sheepish look; "Lexie told me..."

Mark grinned; "I'm an AWESOME friend, admit it"

Jackson smiled; "You are" he affirmed.

"Excuse me Dr. Sloan?"

Mark turned around to face the nurse; "Yes Carmen?"

"E.R just called—they said that Dr. Kepner needs a Plastic consult for her patient, they already paged you 15 minutes ago but you never came so they opted to call."

Mark turned his gaze to his student and wiggled his brows suggestively; "Want to do the consult?"

Jackson wanted to smile widely but he knows that his mentor won't let him live it down, so he settled for furrowing his brows and trying his best to look nonchalant. "You sure? I can see that you're not busy so you can definitely take care of this and-"

"Cut the crap! We both know you're dying to have a reason to talk to her, now you have one so just thank me and get your ass down there"

Jackson sniffed; "If you insist then I'll better go"

Mark rolled his eyes; "God knows you need all the help you can get" he muttered to himself.

"I heard that" Jackson said as he walks away.

"It was meant to be heard" Mark retorted.

"Err—Dr. Sloan, if Dr. Avery will be handling it then he should head straight to O.R. 2, patient has been moved already" Carmen said.

"Avery!"

Jackson paused and turned his head back to Mark; "What?"

"O.R. 2"

"Got it."

Mark placed his hands on his hips; "Make sure to find me after the consult!"

"Okay!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"What happened to this woman?" Meredith asked as she works in a frantic pace.

"Ross suction" April instructed her intern. She then shifted her eyes to Meredith; "Motorcycle VS Truck" she explained.

"A woman in motorcycle accident? That's a first" Meredith replied.

"I know! Those things should be illegal, they're death traps!" April said.

The O.R. doors opened, admitting Jackson; "Somebody paged for a Plastic Consult?" he asked behind a mask.

April felt butterflies inside her tummy when she heard his familiar voice; she shifted her eyes away from the open cavity and turned her head sideways. "Y—yeah, 3rd degree burns"

Jackson shifted in his feet when he felt his heart thumping wildly inside his chest; he cleared his throat nervously as he walks towards the Operating table. He tried his best to look nonchalant as he leans forward to examine the patient's injuries; he grimaces upon seeing the extent of the burns and shifted his eyes to April. "What happened here?"

"Motorcycle VS Truck" April replied.

"A woman?" Jackson asked, perturbed.

Meredith chuckled; "That's what I thought as well" she said.

"She's lucky she's even alive—she'll definitely need a skin graft" Jackson said.

"Suction, Ross" April said. She then shifted her eyes to her best friend; "Yeah—the EMT's had to pull her out under the truck, she skidded right underneath"

"Good thing paramedics arrived in time-Nicole brought her in?" Jackson asked, obviously fishing out information.

Meredith raised her brow but didn't say anything.

April paused and threw Jackson a suspicious look; "She did, why?"

Jackson clasped his hand behind his back as he gritted his teeth; "Nothing"

April narrowed her eyes at Jackson, sensing the shift in his demeanor; "We'll page you as soon as she's ready—thank you for coming" she said dismissively.

Jackson took a step back and nodded; "Just page me" he said before walking towards the door without a back glance.

Meredith waited for Jackson to fully step out before shifting her gaze to the red head right in front of her; "Thank you for coming? Really April—is this your birthday party?" she teased.

April felt her cheeks flush; "Shut up Mer!"

Meredith laughed; "You can't blame me—I can pretty much cut the tension between the two of you with my scalpel"

April cleared her throat, uncomfortable with the direction of the topic; "There is no tension, you're imagining things" she said.

Meredith huffed; "Imagine my ass, it's pretty thick" she said.

"Damn it! Where is all this blood coming from?" April asked.

Meredith rolled her eyes; "Fine. Be that way" she grumbled.

"Ross, I need suction here, I can't pretty much see anything!" Meredith barked.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson ripped out his mask seething; the stupid paramedic was here again—_twice _within one day, is he the only paramedic on duty? This was definitely not the patient that Mark did a consult on this morning—meaning the dorky EMT saw April again and possibly had the chance to ask her out, uninterrupted. He clutched the mask tightly in his hand as he stomped away from the O.R, he's definitely sporting a foul mood now.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I think you should take over on April's patient."

Mark leaned back on his chair, studying his prot's face; "Is it too hard for you to handle?" he asked.

Jackson sulkily walked towards the chair and plopped down; "I don't think I can work with her right now"

"Why?"

Jackson rubbed his face in irritation; "Did you know that _he_ brought April's patient in—he's been here like two times already, is he the only paramedic on duty?"

Mark furrowed his brows in confusion; "That's his job Avery, I don't understand why you're so pissed about it"

Jackson pulled his hand away from his face and collapsed back on his seat; he let out sigh and met Mark's gaze. "I don't know—I'm being stupid"

Mark cocked his head to the side and studied Jackson's face closely; after a moment a grin formed on his lips. "You are _jealous" _

Jackson scowled; "I'm not jealous! I don't know what you're saying!" he huffed.

Mark grinned widely; "Yes you are, you are feeling threatened because another guy is interested with Kepner"

"I'm not!"

"You are and it's driving you nuts because Taylor has been here twice and you don't have the slightest idea if he asked April again without anyone interrupting."

Jackson scoffed and just narrowed his eyes in response.

"Aha! Damn right I am!" Mark said triumphantly.

Jackson shot up from his chair; "Just find someone who can do the skin graft" he said before walking towards the door.

"Let's be clear, I'm only giving you a free pass today because I've been a jealous ass myself and I know that it won't do the patient any good!" Mark called out.

"I'm not jealous! And you're much worse!" Jackson replied.

"I'm not!"

"You threw Karev out of your O.R!"

"Go away before I change my mind!" Mark snapped.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Patient is stabilized-all seems to be in order" Meredith said. She then shifted her gaze to the intern; "Did you already page Avery like I told you?"

"Yes Dr. Grey"

Meredith turned towards April; "He should be able to work on the burns now, you done?"

"Yep" April replied.

The door to the O.R. opened again so both surgeons turn to look; "I was told that you need Plastics to work on the patient's burns?" The other surgeon asked perkily.

Meredith threw Ross a chastising look; "I think there had been a misunderstanding, Dr. Avery handles this case" she said.

"That's the thing, Dr. Sloan asked me to take this case from Dr. Avery. I'm Dr. Rogers"

April threw Meredith a confused look before turning towards the other surgeon; "Does Dr. Avery know?" she asked.

"Yes, he actually gave me a run down on this patient's case, skin graft for her 3rd degree burns" Dr. Rogers said.

"Okay—well she's all yours" Meredith said before walking towards the scrub room.

April stepped away from the O.R. table and took off her gloves; "Just give me an update once the patient has been moved to her room"

"Will do"

April followed Meredith, baffled with what just happened.

Meredith took off her gloves and threw it on the trash can; she walked towards the sink and began washing her hands under the water. "Is it me or did Jackson just bailed on us?"

April stood beside Meredith and started to wash her hands too; "Maybe Mark needed him for something?"

Meredith shook the excess water of her hands and yanked a towel; "Maybe but it's not like Mark to pull someone off of a case" she said.

April grabbed herself a towel and began drying her hands; "I don't know, Jackson is not the type to flake out on a surgery willingly as well."

"I know" Meredith replied.

* * *

"_**We follow thing we fall back in, we're always back where we begin..."**_

* * *

Jackson was able to avoid April for the rest of the day; he's still in a foul mood and he needs need time to cool down before he talks to her again. What he did was cowardly and very unprofessional; Meredith didn't even think twice in letting him know. Now, it's finally time to face the music again, he's going home and there's no way in hell that he'll be able to avoid her. He stopped right in front of their door and squared his shoulders; "You can do this—you are a reasonable man, don't bark at the wrong tree" he said to himself. He took a deep calming breath and unlocked the door; he pushed it open and stepped inside the threshold.

"You're home"

Jackson closed the door behind him and nodded at April in greeting; "Yeah"

April crossed her arms on top of her chest as she leans on the kitchen doorframe; "I've been looking for you the whole day but I can't seem to find you, you been busy?"

Jackson walked towards the couch and sat down; "Yeah—I've been running Sloan's service the whole day" he replied.

"So busy that Mark had to assign my patient's skin graft to Rogers?" April asked.

"Yeah" Jackson replied.

April narrowed her eyes at her best friend before pulling away from her perch; she walked towards the living room and stood right across Jackson. "Something doesn't really add up, you know. You just don't flake out on a surgery just because Mark asked you to run his service"

Jackson averted his gaze as he leans on the couch; "You're thinking too much Apes, there's nothing more to it than it is"

April bit her bottom lip as she walks towards the couch; "Move over" she instructed.

Jackson scooted to his left.

April sat down, angling herself so that she's facing the man sitting beside her; "I know that you've been avoiding me today—hence you bailing out on the surgery. Be honest with me _Jackman_, Mark told you about Matthew that's why you asked if Nicole brought my patient in, am I right?"

Jackson refused to meet April's eyes but did not say anything.

April sat straight and leaned back on the couch with exasperation; "Argh! How can we fix things if you're not being honest with me, you won't even talk! You're so frustrating!" she complained.

Jackson's head snapped towards April and narrowed his eyes; "I'm not frustrating! You are!"

April felt her shackles rise; "You're the one who's acting petulantly and you're calling me frustrating? That's-like-like the pot calling the kettle black!"

"Here we go again with your famous metaphors!" Jackson said acerbically.

"It's an idiomatic expression not a freaking metaphor!"

"Whatever! Just say what you really mean and stop using objects to symbolize everything!" Jackson spat.

"Oh don't go there! You wouldn't want to hear what I really mean!" April retorted.

Jackson narrowed his eyes; "Fine. You want honesty then I'll give it to you! Will you go out with that dorky paramedic? Because if you are I'm not fine with it" he blurted out.

April glared at Jackson; "Wow Jackson, just _WOW_!" she said sarcastically before standing up in a huff.

"Well are you?" Jackson demanded.

April turned her gaze towards Jackson; "If I am you shouldn't give a damn about it! Whatever it is between us is through, you ended it! I don't understand why you're telling me you're not fine with it, REALITY CHECK Jackson Avery-you're not my boyfriend nor my father" she said before storming out of the room.

Jackson felt like he's been bitch slapped so he shot up from the couch, fuming; "You're walking out on me? You insisted we talk about it and then you walk out? Really April that's so mature!" he yelled.

"I have nothing to say to you anymore! I'm done talking with you!" April yelled back.

Jackson closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath; he placed his hands around his waist and bowed his head, trying his best to calm himself down.

"I don't want to fight-let's just stop this, I'm moving out tomorrow and I don't want our last night to be like this..."

Jackson lifted his head up and met April's gaze; he stared into her eyes intently and noticed how weary she looks. He walked towards April and stood right in front of her; "I'm sorry..."

April bit her bottom lip; "Are you really?"

Jackson let out a tired, albeit placating smile; "I am."

April smiled back; "Good, I hate fighting with you" she admitted.

"Me too" Jackson replied. He then gestured towards the couch; "Wanna sit down and talk?" he asked.

"Yeah"

Jackson waited for April to settle down before sitting beside her.

"We're really not good in talking things out, are we? We go from hot to cold in a matter of seconds" April said with a chuckle.

Jackson angled himself to face April, leaning back on the arm rest; "I don't know what happened—we used to be able to talk about anything"

"I know" April agreed.

Jackson eyed April for a moment before smirking; "Do you know that you're the only one who can calm me down in an instant?"

April cocked her head to the side; "Really?"

"Yeah—you've always had that calming effect on me however you can also rile me up just as fast"

April chuckled; "That I can relate to"

Jackson shook his head but a wistful smile is visible on his lips.

April shifted closer to the armrest and copied Jackson's stance; "We've been through hell and back you know and it'll be such a waste if we throw everything away..." she said seriously.

Jackson nodded; "Yeah..."

April braised herself for what she's about to suggest; "I want us to start over again and go back to what we were before. Best friends again—without all the _complications" _she said cautiously.

Jackson felt a pang inside his chest but he can't help but agree with what she said; that's what he'd always wanted right? Go back to what they were before so he won't lose her, now, she's offering a leeway and he'll be stupid not take it. "I would like that."

April smiled, ignoring the pinch inside her chest; "Best friends?" she asked.

Jackson smiled back; "Best friends" he confirmed.

April cringes upon remembering the havoc that _relationship talks_ caused just a couple of minutes ago; "Best friends who don't talk about-err-personal relationship with other people-just for now you know, things are still a _fresh_" she added.

"Yeah-that's probably a good idea" Jackson agreed. "You're moving out tomorrow, are you all set?" he asked, changing the topic.

April nodded; "Yeah-how about you? When will you be moving out?"

"Sunday-right after Bailey's wedding" Jackson replied.

April grimaced.

"What?" Jackson asked upon seeing the look on the red head's face.

"I don't think I have a dress to wear, do you think Bailey will mind if I wear slacks?"

"Slacks?"

"Yeah."

Jackson smirked; "April you're attending a wedding and not a job interview"

April pouted; "I didn't brought dresses when I came back from Ohio-I only have one dressy dress."

"Then wear that one dressy dress you have"

April bit her bottom lip somewhat nervously; "It's strapless and tight."

Jackson raised his brow; "Aren't all dressy dresses supposed to be strapless and tight?" he asked confusedly.

April felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment but she had to make him understand her point; "You don't understand Jackson—it's the green one_,_ the one that's really _tight"_

Jackson stared at April's face for a couple of seconds before it dawned on him; "Oh."

"Do you get me now?"

Jackson tilted his head upwards and groaned; "Of all the dresses to bring you had to bring that one"

April can't help but giggle at Jackson's reaction.

Jackson lowered his head and stared at April; "You know you're killing me right? How can I act best friend-y if you'll be wearing that dress? You know how much I find you-"

"You're not allowed to finish that sentence _Jackman, _you'll be crossing the _friend zone_ boundary" April warned.

Jackson pursed his lips; "Fine."

April smiled; "Good boy" she said. "Lexie offered to lend some of her cocktail dresses but I don't know..."

Jackson snorted; "Lexie is taller than you and it will look like-"

"-a long gown on me?" April finished Jackson's sentence with narrowed eyes.

"That's not what I'm about to say!"

April crossed her arms on top her chest; "Yeah right! Alex already told me that!"

"He did?" Jackson asked with a teasing smile.

"Yes he did and I smacked him for it! You're acting like Alex-you're-you're being mean!" April accused.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "I'm acting within the _friend zone _boundary, it's not mean" he retorted.

April gaped at Jackson for a couple of seconds before giggling.

Jackson smiled widely; see, he can do this-he can revert back to being his best friend again.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April's morning started with Miranda Bailey firing instructions at her; the antsy General Surgeon is getting married tomorrow and instead of worrying about wedding preparations like any normal bride, she's more concern about her patients' welfare when she goes to her honeymoon.

"Kepner are you listening to me?"

April stood straight; "Of course, I'll keep an eye on Mr. Linzer-I will make sure he eats and I won't let him bleed to death and I will also personally check on Mrs. Gellman to make sure that the tube will taken off by Monday."

Miranda stared at April with amusement; "Would you look at that, you were really listening" she said.

April let out a tight lipped smile.

Miranda turned on her heels and resumed walking; "Please don't let Petunia or any other interns touch my patients', the notion of having an intern tend to my patients-"

"Petunia? We don't have an intern named Petunia" April asked confusedly.

Miranda halted her steps again and turned her face towards the red head; "I don't care about their names-just don't let them touch my patients, is that clear?" she snapped.

April swallowed hard; "Y—yes, Dr. Bailey" she replied.

"Good" Miranda said before resuming her walk again.

April let out a sigh of relief and continued trailing behind the General Surgeon.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I heard that you're letting Wilson remove the adhesions on your kid -you digging her now?" Jackson asked with a hint of teasing.

Alex turned towards his friend and scowled; "I'm not digging her—she's here to learn so I'm teaching, end of story" he replied.

Jackson plopped down beside the Ped's Fellow; "Whatever helps you sleep at night man"

Alex rolled his eyes and continued perusing his surgical plan; "Bailey's wedding is tomorrow, you planning on bringing a date?" he asked.

Jackson shook his head; "Nope" he replied. He then smirked, blatantly teasing; "Why? You bringing Wilson?"

"Will you stop mentioning freaking Wilson? You're annoying the hell out of me" Alex snapped.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Fine"

Alex snapped his chart close; "You're not asking Kepner to go with you?"

Jackson sat straighter at the mention of April; "No—should I? I mean we're trying to be friends again and friends doesn't need to ask each other if they'll go together to a wedding, it's already given that we'll get to hang out there" he explained.

Alex snickered; "Really? Friends? Good luck with that—one look at her in a dress and you'll be finding yourselves inside a coat room doing the horizontal tango"

Jackson scowled before standing up from his perch; "We're not doing that-_again_" he said sternly before walking out.

"Whatever let's you sleep at night Avery" Alex repeated his friend's earlier words.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Thank you so much for doing this in a short notice Lizzie" Meredith said somewhat awkwardly.

Lizzie Shepherd smile at her new sister in law; "He's my brother regardless of how stubborn he can get, I'm happy to do this for him" she replied.

Meredith grimaced; "I'm sorry for his outburst earlier-he kinda gets that way when he's caught off guard" she explained.

Lizzie waived her hand dismissively; "Don't apologize—I've known him for more than 30 years, I already expected his temper tantrums"

Meredith smiled; "He can be an-ass if he wants to be"

"Come on Meredith don't go soft on me—we both know he can be more than that" Lizzie said teasingly.

Meredith laughed.

"So-when can I meet Zola?"

"She's in DayCare but I can ask Derek to bring her along so you can meet her before the surgery"

"That will be awesome, I've been dying to meet her"

"Meet her you shall" Meredith said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I already agreed to let you cut off one of my sister's leg and now you're telling me that you need to cut two? Are you kidding me?" Derek spat angrily.

Jackson threw Callie an exasperated look before leaning back on his chair; "Her leg is a little bit shorter than what we anticipated, we need a longer nerve for us to be able to restore your hand's function at a 100%" he explained calmly.

"I don't want to this surgery anymore, cancel it!" Derek yelled.

Callie placed her hands around her waist and narrowed her eyes at the pacing Neuro Surgeon; "We already talked about this Derek and need I remind you that you're the one who asked me to fix you?"

Derek paused and met Callie's eyes; "But you're cutting off two legs! I only agreed with one leg"

"Do you want to operate again?" Callie asked simply.

"Of course I want to!"

"Then suck it up and just be thankful that you have a sister who's willing to help you!"

Derek opened his mouth to respond but closed it again after a moment; he placed his hand on his hips and closed his eyes as he took a deep calming breath.

Jackson shifted his eyes to Callie and threw her an impressed look.

Callie winked at the Plastic Fellow before arranging her features to look stern again; "It's your call Shepherd, I won't force you to do something that you obviously don't want to. I'll just go ahead and cancel-"

"Do it" Derek said, cutting Callie off mid sentence.

"Okay then" Callie replied.

* * *

"_**Everybody hurts just a little too much, everybody hurts but it's never enough. It's wonderful to fall, its worth of risking all, I'd rather love just a little too much..."**_

* * *

"I already spoke with the lawyer-the papers will be here tomorrow" Owen said.

Cristina turned around and saw her soon to be ex husband standing by the door; she let out a sad smile before shifting her gaze back on pipes. "Good"

Owen closed the door behind him and walked towards Cristina; he stopped behind her and placed his hands on top of her shoulder.

Cristina closed her eyes; "You know I love you right?"

"I know and I love you too..."

"Signing a piece of paper won't change how I feel about you"

Owen shifted closer and rested his chin on top of Cristina's head, moving his arms around the Cardio Surgeons waist, hugging her from the back; "I know that" he said.

Cristina opened her eyes but didn't say anything; she stared ahead and waited for the familiar surge of air coming from the vents, praying that it will somehow ease away the hurt that she's feeling.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Do you already have a dress?" Lexie asked.

April forked a carrot from her salad and brought it to her mouth; "I decided to wear the only dressy dress I have, so yes, I have one" she replied before popping the vegetable in her mouth.

"Good-so, are you bringing Mr. Paramedic tomorrow as your date?"

April choked on her carrot.

Lexie hastily grabbed the bottle of water from the red head's tray and handed it to April; "Drink"

April snatched the bottle from her friend's hand and took a swig; she drank a couple of mouthfuls before placing it back on the table."Why would I bring Matthew to Bailey's wedding?"

Lexie shrugged her shoulders; "He already asked you out, it only makes sense that if you're bringing a date it might as well be him" she explained.

"He just asked me for coffee Lex that doesn't mean we're dating and besides, this wedding is strictly for Bailey's close friends why would I bring someone she doesn't know"

"You have a point" Lexie conceded."Why not go with Jackson instead? He can be your date—he's also invited to the wedding and I'm sure he already has a tux prepared" Lexie suggested coyly.

April drizzled the dressing on her salad trying to act nonchalant even though her heart is thumping wildly inside her chest; "I can't bring Jackson as a date-we're trying to revert back to being best friend's again and best friends don't date-they hang out"

Lexie smirked; "I didn't imply that you should date—_date, _what I said is to bring him along as a default date, best friend's do that"

"Oh."

"Think about it, it's kinda sad going into a wedding alone"

April's shoulders sagged; "You're making me feel like a loser who can't get herself a date" she pouted.

Lexie rolled her eyes; "That's not what I'm trying to make you feel, all I'm saying is that you should at least have someone who will dance with you when the mushy music starts, stuff like that and I'm quite sure Jackson won't mind—as your best friend, of course"

April pursed her lips; "When you say it like that, it does make sense" she said.

"What makes sense?"

April turned around and saw Jackson standing behind her; "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long, why?" Jackson asked as he pulls a chair beside April.

April shifted her gaze back to Lexie, narrowing her eyes as a warning.

Lexie ignored April's reaction and smiled at Jackson; "So—tomorrow is Bailey's wedding, your tux ready?"

"Don't remind me, I hate wearing those silly things"

"Really? You always seem to look comfortable wearing them" April said.

Jackson winked at April; "I'm an Avery, I'm programmed to act like I mean it" he said.

April rolled her eyes at his response.

Lexie braised her elbows on top of the table, resting her chin on her clasped hands; "You bringing a date tomorrow?"

Jackson grabbed his fork and began segregating the carrots from his salad; "No date, me and Karev are planning on going stag" he replied.

"Won't you feel out of place once they started playing mushy music and people started dancing?" Lexie asked.

"Why would I? I never dance anyway" Jackson replied as he pulls April's plate towards him.

"Get the nuts" April said while pointing towards the nuts she pushed to the side of her plate.

Lexie can't help but be fascinated as she watches the couple sitting across from her act in perfect sync; "So you're telling me that you never dance in any of those Harper Avery Galas? You've been a wall flower all along?" she teased.

"Not working Lex" Jackson replied before stuffing his mouth with lettuce.

Lexie huffed before pushing away from the table; "Don't come crying to me when you end up sitting there like fools" she said before walking away, peeved.

April chuckled.

"What's up with her?" Jackson asked.

"Lexie has issues when it comes to attending weddings without a date, she's been harassing me for the past couple of minutes—she even thought I'd be bring Matthew along"

Jackson swallowed hard; "Are you?"

April wrinkled her nose; "No, why would you even ask me that? No _relationship talks_, remember?"

Jackson suddenly felt elated; "I forgot, you're right" he replied. He then let out a happy smile; "So—I've been thinking—since you're going to Bailey's wedding solo and I am too, do you want to go there together? You know just to save gas and all" he rambled.

April smirked; "Jackson Avery, is that your way of asking me to be your date to the wedding?"

Jackson felt his cheeks heating up so he averted his gaze and began poking on his food; "I just thought that it would be nice to go there not alone you know-maybe Lexie has a point after all...but if you don't want to then-"

"Oh hush! Of course I'll go with you no need to explain. Best friend's can be each other's default date to weddings', we've already done that before"

"Really?"

April reached for Jackson's face and pinched his cheek; "You're so cute when you look so unsure" she teased.

Jackson winced; "Ouch."

April laughed as she tugs her hand away.

Jackson tried to mash down the warm feelings that erupted from his chest; he cleared his throat and tried his best to look cool. "It's settled then, we'll go there together"

"It's a date" April replied with a smile.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"So-I just came from the cafeteria, I ate lunch with April and Jackson" Lexie said as she walks towards her fiancé.

Mark smiled; "Really? How did that go?"

Lexie smirked as she stops right in front of Mark; "I think they'll end up going to the wedding together"

Mark gently placed his hands on Lexie's waist; "How do you know?" he asked curiously.

"Gut feeling" Lexie replied.

Mark pulled Lexie closer and fully wrapped his arms around her waist; he planted a chaste kiss on her nose before smiling affectionately; "You're playing cupid, I think it's really sexy" he said huskily.

Lexie began drawing circles on Mark's chest; "So-I still have 30 minutes left from my lunch" she trailed off suggestively.

Mark smirked; "I love how you think" he said before hastily pulling away from his fiancé and dragging her, albeit gently to the nearest on call room.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April grabbed her tray and stood up from the table; "I better head back to the pit, can't let the interns by themselves for long" she said.

Jackson took a swig of his soda before standing up as well; "I need to go too, still need to harvest baby Shepherd's nerves" he said.

April paused; "You're doing Derek's surgery today?"

"Yep, he finally agreed" Jackson replied.

April smiled widely; "My intern will be scrubbing in then" she said.

Jackson chuckled; "Your star student won the slot-_landslide. _He channelled his inner Kepner and Derek liked that" he teased.

April laughs as she began walking; "I'm quite sure he did well on his own"

Jackson followed April; "He's the only intern who treated Derek like a patient and not a prized porcelain doll, that's speaks volumes."

"Well-good for him" April said as she discarded the tray. She then turned towards Jackson and smiled; "Good luck on your surgery-not that you need any. I'm sure you'll definitely restore Derek's hand."

"You're confidence in me never fails to amaze me" Jackson said with a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"You're a good doctor _Jackman_, its high time you recognize that" April said sincerely.

Jackson pulled April into a tight hug, hoping she'll understand the words behind it.

April understood the unvoiced words behind his gesture so she hugged him back.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Torres?"

Callie turned his gaze towards Derek who's lying on the O.R. table; "Yep?"

Derek smiled with appease; "Whatever happens after the surgery, it will be okay-I will be okay"

Callie chuckled; "We haven't sedated you yet and you're already high" she joked.

Derek chuckled.

Callie squeezed Derek's hand comfortingly; "This will work, Jackson and I, we'll fix it" she re-assured.

"I know you would"

Callie smiled and gestured towards the anaesthesiologist.

Derek took a deep calming breath before closing his eyes.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I'm watching you Jackson-don't screw this up!" Meredith's voice resounded inside the O.R.

Jackson moved his gaze to the gallery; "I won't screw this up Grey, now why don't you be a good wife and let the _surgeon _work in peace, huh?" he said with a hint of sarcasm.

Meredith crossed her arms on top of her chest defiantly; "I'm not leaving if that's what you're implying!"

Jackson shook his head and turned his gaze towards his intern; "Take her out of there—tackle her if you need to"

Stephanie threw Jackson a frightened look; "But-but it's Dr. Grey, she's an Attending, I can't do that!"

Jackson narrowed his eyes; "I'm your Attending now Dr. Edwards and you'll do exactly as what I say. Move Meredith Grey out of my gallery or you won't be able to touch anything inside my O.R. again, do you understand me?"

Stephanie took a step back and hastily made her way towards the door.

"Why is Edwards leaving Jackson? You need someone to assist you in getting that nerve!"

Jackson gritted his teeth and ignored Meredith's rants; "15 blade, please."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Here are your freshly harvested nerves" Jackson announced as he enters Callie's O.R.

"You're just right on time, hand that to me" Callie instructed.

Jackson walked towards the other surgeon and handed her the kidney bean basin; "There you go" he said.

Callie examined the nerves; "These are good" she remarked. She placed the basin on the side and began her work; "This O.R is _too _quiet, nobody seems to want to make small talk since its Dr. Shepherd on the table."

Jackson chuckled as he makes his way towards the operating table; "It beats having your patient's wife nagging you every step of the way" he said.

Callie laughed; "Meredith is watching you from the gallery?"

Jackson threw his intern a dirty look; "I asked Edwards to remove her but she was not able to do so" he said sternly.

Stephanie cleared her throat and averted her gaze.

Jackson slipped on his gloves and sat beside Callie; "It was hell-I don't understand why she's hovering over me when you're the one operating on her husband"

Callie winked; "Simple, I banned her from my O.R."

"Why didn't I think about that?" Jackson muttered.

Callie laughed; "Does any of you have anything else to share? This is intricate work-small talk will keep us all awake and I'm not a fan of complete silence."

Shane cleared his throat; "Well-I helped Dr. Kepner save a life at the pit yesterday" he said shyly.

Jackson shifted in his seat, feigning disinterest.

Callie threw the Plastic Fellow beside her a subtle look before shifting her gaze back on her work; "That's _interesting_-tell us about it" she encouraged.

"There's this patient who came in who was a mass on her-err-buttocks. I helped her extract it from the patient's gluteal area and it turns out that it's malignant, so we ended up saving the patient's life."

Callie paused and stared at the intern across from her.

Shane cleared his throat; "It-it was an impressively sized mass..."

Callie shifted her gaze to Jackson, trying her best not burst out laughing; "Who's gonna tell Dr. Shepherd that he'll never operate again because Ross' idea of small talk is he saw April Kepner take a lump off an ass?"

Jackson's eyes crinkled at the sides, indicating that he's smiling behind his mass; "They saved a life, that's something worth talking about."

"Coming from a man who's carrying a burning torch for a woman who took off an impressively sized mass from a patient's butt" Callie whispered in a teasing voice.

"Shut it!" Jackson hissed.

Callie shook her head as she continued with her work.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April entered the Attendings' Lounge in dismal mood; her head is aching terribly and she still has to move out of their apartment tonight.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's pissed"

"Why are you pissed?" April asked as she walks towards the couch.

Alex huffed; "My stupid intern tattled on me, she told Robbins that I told her that she'll get fired if she screws up the gastric implant I asked her to do and she's not even doing it, she's just taking off the adhesion!"

April collapsed beside the Ped's Fellow and furrowed her brows; "Did you tell her she'll get fired?"

"Of course not!" Alex replied indignantly. "Taking off the adhesions is risky, no matter who did it—you know that!"

"Well yeah-I've been a doctor for years and Wilson is what-an intern?"

"Not helping Kepner" Alex said. He then crossed his arms on top of his chest; "It not as if I left her there to fend for herself, I was standing right beside her! The second it got hairy, I took over."

April stared at Alex's disgruntled look before patting him comfortingly on the knee; "I know you mean well Alex and I'm sure Arizona knows that too, she just had to reprimand you because you scared the hell out of Wilson" she pacified.

Alex scoffed; "Well it won't be the last time. If she wants to learn then she'll have to suck it up and learn not to burn bridges with the Attendings whose willing to teach her moronic ass!"

April shook her head, there's no reasoning with him when his head is this hot.

"Enough about my stupid intern-what about you? Why do you look pissed?"

April rested her head on the back of the couch and closed her eyes; "I'm not pissed I'm just exhausted and I still have to move out tonight" she groaned.

Alex copied April's stance but kept his eyes open; "Need help? I can lend a hand. I don't want to go to Joe's because for sure freaking Wilson will be there bawling her eyes out with the rest of the morons."

April's eyes snapped open, she turned her head sideways and smiled; "Really?"

"Yeah, I assume Avery will be helping as well?" Alex asked.

"I'd like to think so" April replied.

"Good, we can grab a couple of beers after we help you move, God knows I need a drink"

"Tell you what, I'll buy the booze as a thank you, is that okay?"

Alex smiled; "You're on" he said.

* * *

"_**Sometimes we're trapped in the circle, till we're digging holes in the ground. We're trying, but nothing is working but still I want you around. 'Cause if I'm lost in the desert, I know somehow you'll find me. And if I drown in the oceans you'll be the first to rescue me..."**_

* * *

**The next day: Miranda Bailey's Wedding**

"On the morning of your wedding? Really?" Richard asked when he saw his former prot walking along the hallway with patient's charts in her arms.

"My house is filled with my family talking about make-up and hair, it's nauseating" Miranda said as she stops right in front of the nurses' station, placing her charts on the counter.

Richard stopped right in front of Miranda; "Just check into a hotel if they're annoying you, you shouldn't be working today—get a manicure or go to spa, whatever you girls do before the wedding" he suggested.

Miranda glared; "Are you talking about make-up and manicure too?" she asked sternly.

"Dr. Bailey what are you doing here?" April asked as she sidled up next to the General Surgeon.

Miranda wrinkled her nose; "Checking up on my patients, making sure you haven't bungled anything."

Richard threw April a look; "Don't mention any hair or make-up" he advised.

April turned towards Miranda and began fussing with the other surgeon's hair; "Why? Did something happen with your hair?" she asked with concern.

Miranda scowled at April before storming out.

April cringed and turned to follow Miranda.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Cristina entered the Trauma Room with Owen in tow; she walked towards the patient and began examining him. "What do we have" she asked.

"GSW to the chest, we put up 2 and half liters of blood when we put in the chest tube" Heather said.

Cristina leaned forward and began listening to the patient's heart beat; "We should move him upstairs."

Owen plucked the chart from the foot of the bed and began perusing it; "Looks like there's also a bullet lodge in the abdomen, I can do it or we can call somebody else.'

Cristina turned towards Owen; "You can do it, no need to bother some else."

"Okay" Owen replied.

Cristina pulled the side railing; "Let's move, you're scrubbing in Brooks"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Hey! I've been looking for you in like forever!"

April tore her eyes away from her patient's chart; "Err-why?" she asked.

Lexie placed her hands around her waist; "In case you have forgotten, we have a wedding to attend, it's almost time so we need to get ready"

April furrowed her brows; "It's already time?" she asked. She then took a peek on her watch and her eyes widen in surprise; "Wow, time passed by fast."

"Let's go" Lexie said.

April placed her patient's chart back on the nurses' station; she leaned forward and placed her elbows on the counter. "Make sure that Mr. Linzer eats his food and page me if anything comes up, okay?"

"Yes, Dr. Kepner"

April smiled; "Thanks Alice!"

Lexie looped her arm around the Trauma Surgeon's arm; "Come on, I was able to convince Mark to lend us his office so we don't have to elbow our way in the ladies room" she said with an excited smile.

April groaned; "Here we go"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Meredith entered her husband's room and walked towards his bed; she leaned forward and planted a tender kiss on his forehead.

Derek opened his eyes and smiled; "I think I'm having a dream that a really hot doctor came to take care of me"

Meredith smiled back; "This really hot doctor is leaving you to go to a party" she replied. She then shifted her eyes to Derek's hand; "Callie said it could not have gone better, how are you feeling?"

"I'm a little bit groggy but I'm fine" Derek replied before yawning.

"Good"

"How's my sister? Is she alright?" Derek asked.

"She's doing well, I'll be checking on her before I leave" Meredith replied.

"That will be nice"

"I think I should tell her that we're pregnant...I mean, she was really excited about Zola and she's your family-she deserves to know, my sister knows" Meredith said.

Derek smiled widely; "You sure about that?"

Meredith nodded; "Yes. Well—I better leave, I'll be riding with Alex and you know him, you can't keep him waiting"

"Enjoy the party" Derek said.

Meredith waved goodbye before exiting the room.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Why are you here again?" Jackson asked as he puts on his bow tie.

Mark rolled his eyes as he shrugged on his coat; "Lexie kicked me out of my own office, she told me that's she and Kepner will be using it to get ready."

"And you just let her?"

"I can't say no to my fiancé!"

Jackson sniggered; "You're so whipped" he teased.

"Look who's talking" Mark retorted.

Jackson grabbed his coat and cocked his head to side, examining it.

Mark buttoned his and turned towards his prot; "What are you doing?"

Jackson put his coat on; "I hate wearing this stuff"

"Really? You look good wearing it"

Jackson wrinkled his nose; "Stop talking like that, you're creeping me out"

Mark chuckled; "You stop being homophobic, I'm just stating a fact. I'm a Plastic Surgeon, I know how to appreciate beautiful stuff."

"I'm not homophobic, you're just being creepy"

Mark just laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Wow-you were not kidding when you told me that your dress was _tight. _Jackson will have hard time staying inside your _imaginary friend zone boundary_" Lexie said while eyeing April's form.

April winced; "This is the only dressy dress I have, I don't have a choice"

Lexie walked towards April and stood beside her, both of them facing the mirror; "You look hot Apes, that's what I'm really trying to say" she said with a smile.

April smiled back; "You look hot too, Mark's gonna have a field day" she said.

Lexie giggled; "Wedding sex is always awesome" she said with a wink.

April felt her cheeks flush; "Lexie!" she chastised.

Lexie rolled her eyes; "You already did the _hippity dippity_ with Jackson, I don't understand why you still blush every time I mention the word _sex" _

April grimaced; "Stop being crass!"

Lexie shook her head as she walks towards the couch; "Put your shoes on so we can leave" she instructed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson and Mark were walking along side by side towards the lobby when they ran into Alex and Meredith. The latter halted her steps and stared at the men standing before her; "Will you look at that, you guys are living up to your name as the poster men for Plastics"

Alex stopped beside Meredith and snickered; "All prettied up"

"You don't look bad yourself Karev, you can ride along our coat tails if you want to" Mark jested.

"And be labelled as pretty? No thanks" Alex retorted.

"How's Derek?" Jackson asked while looking at Meredith.

Meredith smiled; "He's a little drugged up but he's doing good" she replied.

Mark smirked as he patted Jackson's back proudly; "My boy did good"

"You're _bromance _is nauseating" Alex said. He then turned towards Meredith; "We should get going, Bailey's gonna kill you if she doesn't see you standing at the front."

"You're right! Well I'll see guys at the wedding and drive safely" Meredith said as she continues her way.

'Will do, you too!" Mark replied.

"See you later posses!" Alex said with a wave.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I really don't feel like going to this wedding" Cristina said as she paces inside Owens' office.

Owen shrugged on his coat before turning his gaze towards his wife; "It's Miranda's wedding, we should be there."

Cristina sighed; "It just doesn't feel right..."

Owen buttoned his coat before walking towards Cristina; he stood right in front of her and placed his hands on her hips. "I know it's hard because I'm feeling the same way as what you're feeling but just for one night, before we sign those damn papers-let's be happy and pretend that everything is fine. Can you do that?"

Cristina gazed into Owens' eyes for a moment before nodding; "Yeah I can do that"

Owen smiled before planting a chaste kiss on Cristina's lips; "We have to go" he said.

Cristina forced herself to smile back; "Yeah—we should."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"It took you guys long enough" Lexie said.

Mark grinned widely at her fiancé; "You're a vision Mrs. Sloan."

"It's Ms. Grey, we're not yet married. You don't look too bad" Lexie said with a smile.

Mark laughed; he then began looking around; "Where's Kepner?"

Jackson sidled up next to his mentor; "Yeah-where's April?"

"Present!"

Both Jackson and Mark turned around and saw April standing behind them; Mark whistled approvingly. "You clean up well Kepner, you look hot" he said.

April felt her cheeks flush; "Err—thank you Dr. Sloan" she replied.

Lexie shifted closer to Jackson and elbowed him playfully on the side; "Close your mouth, you look stupid" she whispered.

Jackson snapped his mouth close and glared at the brunette standing beside him; "Shut it!" he hissed.

Lexie ignored Jackson and smiled brightly at her friend; "Is April gorgeous or what?"

"Lexie!" April hissed.

Jackson moved his gaze back to April, smiling at his best friend appreciatively; "You look stunning Apes—green looks good on you"

April cleared the lump in her throat; "Thank you...you look good too" she replied.

"Awww...They're acting like teenagers on their first Prom" Mark teased. He then pushed his student towards the red head and settled himself beside his fiancé; "Makes me feel like a proud parent."

Lexie giggled; "You're acting like one" she teased.

Mark grinned; "That's my boy, what do you expect?"

Jackson rolled his eyes at his mentor's antics; he turned towards April and offered his hand. "Why don't we leave this two and head to the wedding? We don't want to miss it after all" he suggested.

April placed her hand into his; "Err-yeah, sure."

Jackson smiled and began leading her towards the exit; "Start moving or you'll be late!" he reminded the other two surgeons.

Mark wrapped his arm around Lexie's shoulder; "They look cute together"

"True" Lexie replied with a smile.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Who invited the stupid interns?" Alex asked irritably as he sat down beside his friends.

"Err-Bailey?" April replied.

Alex grabbed his wine glass and emptied it.

"Whoa slow down on the booze man" Jackson said.

Alex placed his wine glass on top of the table; "It's just wine" he huffed.

"Do you know the hold up? I mean it's been an hour" April asked.

Alex shook his head; "I don't have the slightest idea, why don't you ask the love birds there, they look like they're having a good time" he said while pointing at the couple sitting across from them.

Jackson shifted his gaze to his mentor; "Hey Mark, do you know why Bailey isn't here yet?"

Mark tore his eyes away from his fiancé and turned towards his student; "Ben told me that Bailey got pulled into an emergency surgery so they had to postpone the ceremony for a couple of hours."

April threw Mark an incredulous look; "But she's getting married today!"

"I'm quite sure she knows that Apes" Lexie said.

Jackson was about to open his mouth to respond but was cut off when all they're pagers went off simultaneously.

April plucked hers and read the message; "I'm needed at the hospital, multiple motorbike Traumas just arrived" she said before tucking it back inside her purse.

Alex stood up; "Well we better head back."

Mark stood up; "Sit down Karev, you're not going anywhere" he said.

Alex scowled; "What do you mean I'm not going? I just got paged"

Mark pointed towards his empty wine glass; "You've been drinking wine like water, you can't answer to the page."

"But-"

"Not arguing, sit down" Mark said sternly.

Alex grumbled to himself sulkily before sitting down again.

April grabbed her purse from the table; "Well I better go" she said.

Jackson also stood up and stared at Mark; "Why don't you stay here with Lex-I'll go with April" he offered.

Mark eyed Jackson for a moment; "Are you sure? It's a biking accident I'm quite sure that there will be a lot of burn victims"

"I can handle it" Jackson replied.

"If you insist" Mark conceded.

Jackson threw Mark a thankful look before turning towards April; "You ready to go?"

April nodded; "Yeah" she replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I can't believe Bailey was pulled into an emergency surgery, it's her wedding day" Callie said.

Arizona patted her wife's hand comfortingly; "You know how passionate Bailey is with her patients" she replied.

Meredith stood up from her perch; I should go back to the hospital and check on her, I'm a General Surgeon, maybe I can tag her out of the surgery" she said.

"You sure? I can go too" Callie offered.

Meredith shook her head and handed Callie her bouquet; "Yeah I'm sure, just put this in water till I get back" she said.

Callie accepted the flowers; "Don't forget to call us if you need extra hands, okay?"

"Sure" Meredith said before walking towards the lobby.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Do you need a ride back to the hospital?" Jackson asked as he watches Meredith walk towards them.

"You're also going back?" Meredith asked.

"Yep, we just got paged. Multiple Trauma's came into the E.R and they need extra hands" April replied.

"Err-excuse me Dr. Kepner?"

April turned around and saw his favourite intern standing behind her; "Yes?"

Shane scratched the back of his head shyly; "We've been paged as well-Stephanie and I are wondering if we can catch a ride with you guys? We left our cars in the hospital and took a ride with Jo but we can't seem to find her"

April turned her head towards his best friend; "Jackson?" she asked.

"Yeah sure, no problem" Jackson replied.

April turned towards Shane again and smiled; "Sure, let's go" she said.

Cristina followed Owen as he steps out of the E.R; "I can stay and help you with this, I don't feel like going to a wedding when I'll be signing our divorce papers later" she said.

Owen paused and turned towards his wide; "We promised that we'll pretend for just one night that-"

"That promise only stands if you'll be there with me but you're not" Cristina said, cutting Owen off.

Owen opened his mouth to respond but his attention was caught by the loud sound of sirens and motorbikes heading their way.

Cristina stared at the scene right in front of her, stunned.

Owen turned towards his wife and grimaced; "Maybe you should stick around" he said.

Cristina didn't respond, she just spun on her heels and began walking back inside the E.R.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April entered the pit with Jackson and the interns trailing behind her; she searched for Owen and made a bee line towards him. "Chief, where do you need us?" she asked.

"Just a second Kepner" Owen replied as he bandaged his patient's leg.

"Guess Dr. Bailey beat us to the fun" Shane said.

Owen frowned, clearly confused; "Dr. Bailey is still here?" he asked.

"She and Dr. Grey are working on Adele Webber in O.R. 1" The nurse beside Owen replied.

April's eyes widen in shock; "Dr. Webber's wife? Should we-"

"You have a degloving injury in Trauma Room 1, take care of your patient and let Bailey and Grey take care of theirs." Owen said.

"Okay" April replied. She then spun on her heels and began walking towards the Trauma Room Owen indicated.

"Where do you want me Chief?" Jackson asked.

"Go with Kepner and see if you can assist her" Owen said. He then turned towards the interns; "You two are with them too" he said.

Jackson didn't need to be told twice, he followed April without further questions.

"Jackson-I think you should take a look at this" April said with a grimace.

Jackson walked towards April and stood beside her; he leaned forward and examined the patient's hand.

"Where's Gasoline? And the Hammer?" The patient asked frantically.

"These are people?" Shane asked.

"You get to pick your road names and you get to pick Stuart?" April asked as she peruses the patient's chart.

"I'm not officially in the club yet-the crash was my fault, I have no business being on that bike, I just ruined my chances" Stuart replied with a wince.

"I think your arm would agree" April replied.

"I don't think so, I think motorcycles are hot-they're cool and it's definitely your business if you want to ride it" Stephanie said.

Jackson turned his head towards the female intern and grinned; "Motorcycles are cool, I can agree with that" he said.

April caught the interest in Jackson's eyes when he stared at Stephanie; she felt niggling feeling inside her chest, making her imaginary manacles rise. She took a step back and crossed her arms on top of her chest; watching the two intently.

Jackson turned his gaze back to patient; "All right Stuart, your injuries are extensive but I do think it's possible we can salvage your hand. We're just gonna get you up to the O.R. and debride your arm" he explained. He then turned his gaze back towards his intern; "Edwards, you're with me since you seem to be fascinated with guys in motorcycles" he said teasingly.

"All right since that's settled I don't think we're needed here" April suddenly said.

Jackson turned towards April and saw the look on her face; "I-I can take Dr. Ross if you'd prefer Edwards"

April handed the chart to Jackson; "Are you kidding? No-Shane's my guy, he's staying with me" she said with a fake smile. She then turned towards her intern; "Let's go Ross, let's go find ourselves a patient" she said without a backward glance.

Jackson watched as April leaves the room; _what the hell just happened? _he asked himself, clearly baffled.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Murphy get your hands in here" Miranda instructed her intern.

"Dr. Bailey?" Meredith said as she stares at the open cavity.

"-I need you to put pressure on the aorta, there under the diaphragm" Miranda said.

Meredith lifted her gaze and stared at the other Attending standing across from her.

Miranda met Meredith's eyes; "It's just a stop gap until we can mobilize the duodenum off the aneurysm" she explained. She then shifted her gaze to the gallery and saw Richard sitting agitatedly.

"Grey?"

Meredith followed Miranda's gaze and understood what Miranda was saying; she moved her eyes towards the intern. "Murphy go up in the gallery and sit with him."

Leah threw Richard a look; "Okay" she said before hastily stepping back from the operating table.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Alex was sitting glumly at the bar when he heard throat clearing; he turned around and saw Jo Wilson standing behind him awkwardly. "What?" he snapped.

Jo cleared her throat; "I-I'm sorry" she sputtered.

Alex frowned; "Are you sorry because you tattled on me or are you sorry because you acted like an idiot?"

Jo closed her eyes tightly, willing herself to calm down; she then opened her eyes and stared at the Ped's Fellow directly. "I'm sorry because I acted like an idiot"

Alex studied the intern's face for a moment before his face relaxes; "You owe me a freaking drink after all the bitching I received from Robbins" he said.

Jo bit her bottom lip to keep herself from grinning; "Fine" she said before hopping on the stool right next to Alex.

Alex shook her head before signalling for the bartender.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Ow! Damn it!"

April tore her eyes away from her chart and walked towards the patient's bed; "What's going on?" she asked.

Shane opened his mouth to respond but the patient cut him off; "This kid is a menace, that's what"

April rounded the bed and shifted towards the patient, letting out an appeasing smile; "Sir, just calm down. This is a teaching hospital, all right?"

The patient just grunted.

April grabbed a pair of gloves and shifted towards Shane; "Allow me to assist Dr. Ross with this technique, okay?"

"Yeah"

April shifted her gaze to the patient's leg; "All right for a corner stitch like this it's usually best to use a half buried horizontal mattress stitch" she said. She then grasped Shane's hand and began guiding him; "So you go on like that" she said.

Shane nodded; "Okay-I think I got it" he said with a smile. He then repeated what April taught him; "Like this right?"

April smiled widely and patted Shane's back in approval; "Yes. Great work, you're such a quick study. Keep it up" she replied. She then shifted her gaze back to the patient; "How does that feel Sir?" she asked.

"Fine" The patient grunted.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was taking off the burnt skin when he noticed Stephanie staring at him intently; "What?" he asked.

"Uh—sorry, it's just your technique-it's kind of beautiful" Stephanie stuttered.

Jackson shifted his gaze back to his work; "It's Dr. Sloan's technique, actually but I am pretty good at it" he replied. He then paused; "Do you want to try?" he asked.

Stephanie reluctantly accepted the large tweezers and shifted her gaze back to the arm.

Jackson placed his hands on Stephanie's, guiding her through the process; "You have to make sure that you only pull lightly because you don't want to damage the tissues further" he said.

He grasped the intern's hand gently and motioned her hand with his; he was about to explain further but the door was yanked open abruptly, admitting April in.

April stepped inside the O.R, her eyes immediately zeroing out on the surgeon's hands; she felt another pang inside her chest, making her take a step back.

Jackson seems to forget that he's holding his intern's hands; "You done?" he asked casually.

April swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth, trying her damnest to mash down the irrational jealousy that's almost blinding her. Yes, she was able to label the niggling inside her chest and it's gnawing at her now, badly.

"April?" Jackson asked.

April shifted her gaze back to Jackson; she cleared her throat and let out the tiniest smile she can muster. "Yeah-Mrs. Webber has been moved to recovery so Bailey is on her way to her wedding."

Jackson shifted his gaze back on the patient's arm and noticed that he's still holding Stephanie's; he quickly pulled his hand away and cleared his throat. He turned his gaze back to April, clearly understanding what she's looking at a couple of minutes ago. "Err-this will still take some time" he explained.

April shifted in her feet; "Oh I see-well Meredith needs a ride now because she's part of the entourage. I'll just drive with her and bring Ross with us" she paused. "You can bring Steph with you, no need to waste gas when you're both going to the same place."

"April-"

April smiled awkwardly; "I'll go on ahead, just see you there" she said before hastily leaving the room.

Jackson stared at the swinging O.R doors before letting out dejected sigh; he turned towards his intern and stared at her for a moment. "I think I'll take it from here so we can finish as soon as possible" he suggested.

Stephanie handed the instruments back to Jackson; "Okay-definitely."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Where's your date?" Lexie asked as she watches April take her seat.

"Busy teaching his intern how to debride a wound" April replied, somewhat stoically.

Mark leaned forward and stared at April; "He decided to teach now?" he asked confusedly.

April averted her gaze and started smoothing out the imaginary creases on her dress; "Yeah"

Lexie raised her brow; "Who is he teaching?"

"Edwards" April replied.

Mark's eyes widen in surprise; "That's new, the last time he let Edwards scrub in was during Derek's surgery, I remember him saying that he won't let Edwards step foot inside his O.R. if she wasn't able to take Mer out of the gallery."

"Maybe she was able to take Mer out of the gallery that's why he's so _willing _to be a teacher today" April replied.

"She wasn't able to take my sister out of the gallery, she told me everything that happened" Lexie interjected.

April scoffed before turning her gaze to the aisle; "Maybe their common interest in motorcycles help them bond, their kinda cosy inside his O.R"

Lexie turned her gaze towards her fiancé and threw him a knowing look.

"Maybe Jackson wanted to teach, don't get your panties in a twist because of that. I'm sure my boy is still carrying a burning torch for you" Mark said.

April turned her face towards the Plastics Attending and glared; "He is not carrying a torch for me and we're just friends-he can do whatever or whoever he wants" she said before facing the aisle again.

Lexie shifted closer to Mark; "Definitely jealous" she whispered.

Mark grinned widely; "Green eyed monster at its finest" he replied.

Lexie chuckled.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson just pulled over at the parking lot of the hotel when he heard his phone beep; he took it off his coat pocket and checked it. After a moment, he pursed his lips and shifted his phone towards Stephanie, showing a picture; "We just missed the ceremony" he said.

Stephanie stared at the photo of Ben and Miranda at the altar; "I've wanted to watch that, it's been a long time since I last attended a wedding" she said ruefully.

Jackson pulled his phone away and smiled at the intern; "We might've missed the ceremony but the program is not finished yet, we still have time" he said.

"Oh, so the bouquet hasn't been thrown yet?" Stephanie asked excitedly.

Jackson stuffed his phone inside his pocket as he chuckles; "You're into that?" he asked.

Stephanie felt her cheeks flush; "Err—Yeah" she replied shyly.

Jackson unbuckled his seat belt; "Well we better hurry if you want to have the chance to catch the infamous bouquet" he said.

Stephanie pulled her purse from the dash board and began unbuckling her own seat belt; she tugged on it a couple of times but for some unfathomable reason it won't budge. "Argh!"

Jackson turned towards Stephanie and saw her predicament; he rolled his eyes as he leans forward. "Your dress got caught in the clip, stay still" he said.

Stephanie felt her breath hitch inside her throat when Jackson shifted closer; she swallowed hard as she watches him work intently on the buckle.

Jackson gave a last tug and the clip gave away, freeing Stephanie; "There you go" he announced triumphantly as he lifted his gaze.

Stephanie bit her bottom lip as she stares at Jackson's eyes.

Jackson noticed how Stephanie was looking at him and felt smug; he definitely hasn't lost his effect in women. He was about to crack a joke but was startled when heard a loud tapping on his window; he immediately pulled away and turned towards it.

"What the hell Avery?" Mark asked, clearly not pleased with what he just witnessed.

Jackson hastily pushed the door open and climbed out of his car; "I got held up with one patient-I had to do a debridement" he explained.

Mark narrowed his eyes at his prot; he then shifted his gaze towards the intern who's awkwardly standing at the other side. "Why don't you head in Edwards, I just need a word with Dr. Avery"

"O-okay, thank you for the ride Dr. Avery" Stephanie said nervously before scurrying away.

Mark placed his hands on his hips as he waited for the intern to be out of earshot; once he's sure that he can't be heard, he turned towards Jackson. "Do you plan on sleeping with her?" he asked seriously.

Jackson scrunched his face; "NO! Why would you even ask me that?" he asked as he slammed his car door shut.

Mark narrowed his eyes before gesturing towards the car; "You were about to kiss her" he pointed out.

"I was not about to kiss her! I was helping her with the seat belt-her dress got caught in the buckle and I had to help her pull it off!"

"You don't have to lie to me Avery, you know I won't judge you and-"

"I WAS NOT PLANNING TO KISS HER OR SLEEP WITH HER!" Jackson yelled.

Mark studied Jackson's face before relenting; "Okay-I believe you."

Jackson closed his eyes and let out a deep calming breath.

"But just to warn you Kepner is pissed"

Jackson's eyes snapped open; "Why?"

Mark smirked as he crosses his arms on top of his chest; "She's _jealous_-she thinks you prefer to teach Edwards and hold her hand rather than attending this wedding with her."

"I didn't hold Edwards hands because I want to—_I had to_! Why would she think that?" Jackson asked perplexedly.

"Jealousy is never rational, you should know that. You were stupid jealous when the EMT asked her out-what would you feel if you saw her holding Taylor's hand?"

Jackson gritted his teeth; "Not helping."

Mark shrugged his shoulders; "I just want you to understand things" he said. He then leaned forward and patted Jackson's shoulder; "Why don't we head inside to make sure that my fiancé and Kepner is not over indulging with alcohol"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Who is Kepner dancing with?" Alex asked with a grimace.

Lexie took a sip of her cocktail before turning towards Alex; "Err-I really don't know-I think it's one of Ben's friends from California though" she replied.

Alex plopped beside Lexie; "Avery will be pissed, the guy is looking at Kepner like he wants to have his evil way with her. Where the hell is he?"

Lexie shrugged her shoulder; "April told me that he's still at hospital—teaching one of the interns how to do a skin debridement."

Alex scrunched his face; "Avery teaching? He hates those fools as much as I do and of all the days to teach he chooses now? Really?"

"I know right? That's why April is so pissed"

Alex stared at April's dancing form, a smirk slowly making its way on his lips; "She's drunk" he observed.

"How can you tell?" Lexie asked with interest.

Alex took a sip of his whiskey before replying; "She doesn't normally dance when she's sober"

Lexie giggled.

"Oh Avery will be pissed-big time"

"Why will I be pissed?"

"And here he is!" Alex said somewhat giddily.

Jackson pulled a chair beside the Ped's Fellow; "Why will I be pissed?"

"Don't mind Alex, he's had too much to drink" Lexie interjected.

Mark took his seat beside her fiancé and began looking around the table; "Where's everybody? Where's Kepner?" he asked.

Alex smirked widely at Lexie.

"Meredith answered a call from Derek and Callie and Arizona went to their room" Lexie explained.

"Where's April?" Jackson asked.

Lexie took a sip of her cocktail, deliberately postponing an answer.

Alex rolled his eyes at Lexie before gesturing towards the dance floor with his glass; "She's dancing" he said.

Jackson followed the direction that Alex is pointing out and saw his best friend dancing closely with some guy; he felt his blood boil and before he knows it, he's already on his feet.

"Jackson!" Lexie called out.

Mark shot up from his feet and followed the seething surgeon; he yanked his arm and pulled him back. "Calm down, don't do anything that will embarrass you or April, they're just dancing"

Jackson clenched his fists as he tries to stifle the raging emotion inside his chest; he took a step back and gnashed his teeth together.

Alex also stood up from his perch when he realized that his friend is blowing out of proportion; he grabbed his whiskey from the table and offered it Jackson. "Here drink this, calm down man. It's just one freaking dance" he said.

Jackson accepted the drink wordlessly and downed it in one gulp.

"Can you guys sit down, you're attracting attention" Lexie said.

Mark and Alex both reached for Jackson's arm and guided him back to the table; Alex being the closest to Jackson's chair pulled him down.

Mark walked towards his chair and plopped down.

Jackson placed the empty glass on top of the table before taking a deep calming breath; "I'm good" he announced.

* * *

"_**We follow thing we fall back in, we're always back where we begin..."**_

* * *

Carlton planted a kiss on April's hand before stepping away; "It has been fun dancing with you Dr. Kepner" he said politely.

April smiled widely; "You are good dancer, I had fun too, thank you Dr. Mitchell" she said.

Carlton smiled back; "Do you want me to escort you back to your table?"

April shook her head; "That won't be necessary, I have to go to the ladies anyway. See you around Carlton-thank you again!" she said before spinning on her heels and walking towards the other direction.

"Hey-I know that guy!" Mark said when he had the chance to stare at April's dance partner closely.

Jackson took a swig of his drink; "I don't care who he is" he grumbled.

Mark rolled his eyes; "He's Dr. Carlton Mitchell, he's a sought after Neuro Attending in UCLA if I'm not mistaken. He used to be Derek's prot when we're still in New York, he's Derek's poster child."

"So he's a Neuro prodigy, big deal" Alex huffed. He then placed his arm around Jackson's shoulder, "We have Harper Avery's grandson here and he's an AWESOME Plastics Fellow and need I remind you that he's _your _poster child—we should root for him!" he said in support.

"He's my boy of course I'll root for him!" Mark said indignantly.

Jackson stared at Alex for a couple of seconds before bursting out laughing; 'You have a weird way of trying to make me feel better Karev but it works" he said.

Alex smirked before pulling his arm away.

* * *

"_**Now if I may have everyone's attention please?"**_

* * *

"I think they're throwing the bouquet and garter, goody!" Lexie gushed excitedly.

"You're not participating in that, you're no longer single, your mine now" Mark whispered.

Lexie rolled her eyes.

* * *

"_**It has always been a tradition that before the couple dance they're last dance for the evening, the beautiful bride needs to pass on her lovely bouquet to a lucky single lady who will be next in line. Now, I'm calling all of the single ladies out there to please proceed upfront so we can get this show on the road" **_

* * *

Lexie hopped up to her feel but wasn't able to move an inch because Mark is holding on to her arm with a vice grip. "What are you doing?"

"You're not going there, you can't wrestle those damn girls for a bouquet, your legs are still healing" Mark said sternly.

Lexie pursed her lips petulantly; "But I want too!"

"Flowers or not you're getting married anyway, no need to tackle someone for it" Alex said.

"You people are no fun!" Lexie complained before sitting down again.

Mark moved closer and planted a kiss on Lexie's temple; "You already have my heart and ring, if you want flowers then I'll just buy you some"

Jackson wrinkled his nose; "Don't act so sappy right in front of us, it's disgusting"

Lexie threw Jackson a raspberry; "You're just jealous!"

Jackson rolled his eyes.

"Where are my interns? Get your asses up here! I know you're all single, don't make me call your names one by one!" Miranda Bailey's voice echoed inside the room.

Alex snickered; "And the Nazi's back with vengeance!" he chortled.

Jackson smirked as he watches Wilson and Edwards saunters towards the front, both sporting an embarrassed look.

"She has 50 guests and only two are single? What the hell is wrong with this wedding?" Alex complained as he stares at the 2 ladies standing in the front.

Jackson sniggered before leaning towards his friend; "We both know that you have the hots for Wilson" he whispered.

Alex turned towards Jackson and frowned; "Shut your trap Pretty Boy, you're not funny!" he hissed.

"Just saying" Jackson said.

Mark watches in amusement as Miranda narrowed her eyes at the two ladies; she tugged the mic out of the host's hand; "April Kepner get your ass up here, you are single and I know you are hiding!"

Jackson sat straighter and began looking around the ballroom.

Alex noticed his friend shift in his chair upon the mention of the red head's name; "I forgot Kepner's single, if she ends up catching the flowers then she'll have to kiss whoever catches the garter"

Jackson's head snapped towards his friend; "What?"

"It's tradition," Alex replied with a smirk.

"I didn't know that!"

Lexie turned towards Jackson; "If she catches the bouquet you better catch the damn garter Avery" she said.

Mark nodded in agreement; "Tackle anyone if you have to" he said.

Alex snickered; "Even though you annoy the hell out of me, I'll help you on this one, I used to be a wrestler when I was in Iowa, I'll fend them off of you" he offered.

"You people are insane!" Jackson said.

"Look there is April" Lexie said while pointing towards the hallway.

Jackson shifted his gaze towards the direction Lexie is pointing at; he watches as April walked towards the front and stood beside the interns awkwardly, her cheeks flaming red.

"Her face is as red as her hair" Mark said with a smirk.

* * *

"_**Looks like we only have 3 single ladies, well—good luck to you girls! Now Miranda, please take your place." **_

* * *

"I hope April catches it!" Meredith said as she pulls a chair beside Alex.

Alex turned towards Meredith; "Hopefully it doesn't hit her on the face, she looks frightened" he said.

Meredith chuckled; "You know April, she's never a fan of such a large-Oh my god she actually caught it!"

Alex turned towards the front and saw April holding Bailey's bouquet in her hands; "Would you look at that!" he said with amusement. He then turned towards Jackson; "You're turn man!" he said giddily.

Jackson swallowed hard, still not believing April's luck; "She actually caught it" he said in disbelief.

Lexie giggled; "She did, she didn't even have to wrestle anyone for it" she said.

* * *

"_**And would you look that! The lovely Dr. April Kepner caught it after all, let's give her a round of applause everyone." **_

* * *

Alex sat straighter as he clapped his hands; "You ready man?" he asked his friend.

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Ready for what?"

"To catch the garter you fool!" Lexie hissed.

"Oh."

* * *

"_**Now it's time for the infamous garter to be thrown, who will be lucky enough to catch it and get the chance to share the spot light with the beautiful lady? I'm calling all the eligible bachelors out there-wow, it looks like a there's a lot of single men out here who wants a chance to get to know the lovely Dr. Kepner." **_

* * *

Alex stared at the number of men walking towards the front in disbelief; "There are only two single ladies but tons of single men? Really?" he complained. He then shot up from his perch and squared his shoulders; "Come on Avery, that garter has your name on it" he said.

Jackson scowled as he watches the men line up; "Where did they all come from?" he asked while still sitting.

"Get your ass up from that chair Avery or I'll haul you myself" Mark warned.

Jackson shifted his gaze to April and saw the apprehensive look on her face; he thought for a couple of seconds before standing up from his perch.

Alex clapped Jackson at the back; "Come on man, time to show those California guys the proper way to tackle" he said jovially.

Meredith laughed at Alex's antics; "Play nice Alex, we don't want anyone getting rush to the hospital, stow your wrestler instincts" she reminded her friend.

Alex threw Meredith a smirk; "I'm not the one you should be reminding Mer-it should be the jock football player who looks murderous" he said while gesturing towards Jackson who stormed towards the front.

"Make sure he doesn't tackle anyone too hard Karev, I need those hands!" Mark said with a grin.

Alex laughed as he follows his friend.

* * *

"_**We've garnered an impressive number here-9 dashing men! Dr. Kepner, aren't you the lucky one? Now boys, play nice, just catch the garter that Ben here is throwing, okay?" **_

* * *

April shifted her gaze towards the men that's standing right in front of her; she can't help but let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the familiar faces of her friends. She threw Alex a thankful smile before moving her gaze towards Jackson; she's still annoyed with him but seeing him standing up front, willing to wrestle these men to save her from further embarrassment-she can pretty much kiss him right now—garter or whatnot. She let out a small reconciliatory smile and made sure to squeeze in a little pleading look that says; "_You have to catch that bloody garter even if you have to tackle them to the ground!" _

Jackson felt April's eyes on him so he turned his gaze towards her; he understood the _look_ she's throwing him so he sent her a comforting smile before moving his attention back on Ben.

April bit her lips nervously as she began fiddling with her bouquet; _Oh god! Please let it be Jackson-or even Alex, this is super embarrassing, I didn't even notice that there are so many single men here! Damn it! I should've stayed inside the ladies room!" _she thought to herself.

* * *

"_**Ben, please step in place, now you will throw the garter at a count of three, okay?" **_

* * *

Ben studied the men one by one before it landed on Jackson, he threw the Plastic Fellow a meaningful look; "Good luck gentlemen" he said with a large grin. He then turned around and squared his shoulders; "I'm ready" he said.

* * *

"_**One-Two-Three!" **_

* * *

Jackson was the first to leap into action; moving in lightning speed-even before the other men had the chance to budge from their perch. He caught the garter in one swift motion, lifting it with his hand in triumph, a large smile painted on his lips.

Alex's laughed loudly as he watches his friend.

Ben turned around and grinned widely; "Nice catch Jackson"

Jackson felt his cheeks flush when he realized that all eyes were on him; he slowly lowered his hand and cleared his throat.

* * *

"_**A dashing man and a beautiful woman-you two make a lovely pair. Dr. Kepner please join Dr. Jackson Avery here" **_

* * *

April bit her bottom lip to keep herself from grinning widely; she slowly made her way towards Jackson and stood beside him.

* * *

"_**We all know what will happen next, now—will the bride and groom please join us here" **_

* * *

Miranda and Ben walked towards the couple; she leaned forward and smirked widely at the couple. "Who would've thought that you two will end standing here with us? The host is right, you make a lovely pair" she teased.

April felt her cheeks flush; "Err-"

Jackson chuckled; "April and I are very competitive, we take things like this seriously, we had to win, Mercy Westers forever" he joked.

Ben smiled widely; "Mercy Westers forever!" he said before lifting his hand for a high five.

Jackson clapped the other man's hand.

Miranda rolled her eyes; "I forgot, you guys are the _invaders" _

"An invader you just married" Ben said before planting a kiss on Miranda's temple, making Miranda smile.

"They're too cute!" April gushed lowly.

Jackson turned towards April and smiled; "They're so in love"

* * *

"_**According to tradition, the pair who caught the bouquet and the garter will have to share a kiss and a dance like the newly wed. Now it will be up to the newly wed to decide what type of kiss and where it will be, so-please face each other, the stage is yours, show us some loving"**_

* * *

April felt her hear racing as she turned to face Jackson, grasping the bouquet tightly in her hands.

Jackson took a deep breath to calm his nerves; he knew that this will be the ramification of his action and it will definitely cross the _friend zone boundary _that April set but having another man kiss her? That's not an option either. He squared his shoulder and smiled at the red head standing right in front of her; "We can do this, it's just a kiss—we've done this before, I promise not to take advantage of you" he whispered.

April can't help but smile at Jackson's words; "I'm not afraid of kissing you Jackson and I know you'd never take advantage of me" she replied.

"Then why do you look so nervous?" Jackson asked lowly.

"I'm nervous because they're all looking at us" April whispered back.

"Oh."

"You love birds done talking?" Miranda snarked, making Ben laugh.

Jackson turned towards the General Surgeon; "Yeah-go on, let's get this show on the road" he said.

Miranda grinned widely; "Okay now," she said before turning towards her husband.

Ben winked at Jackson before wrapping his arm around Miranda's back securely; he then sweeps her off her feet and lowered her close to the ground before planting a sound kiss on her plump lips.

The whole room erupted with loud claps and cat calls, making April laugh nervously.

Ben pulled his lips away and helped Miranda stand to her feet.

* * *

"_**If that ain't a kiss then I don't know what it is! Now—let's give it up for our lovely pair, don't be shy! Kiss Kiss Kiss!" **_

* * *

"Go on Avery! Kiss Kepner like you mean it!" Alex yelled from their table.

Jackson shook his head at Alex's enthusiasm; "He's way drunk" he muttered.

"Make me proud boy!" Mark's voice echoed next.

"He's talking like a proud father, you got yourself a new father Jackman" April teased.

Jackson chuckled; he then took a step closer towards April and wrapped his arm around her waist. "You ready to show them what a _real _kiss looks like?" he asked playfully.

April smiled widely at Jackson before wrapping both of her arms around his neck; "Mercy Westers never disappoints, let's show them what we've got" she whispered.

Jackson smiled widely before sweeping her off her feet and lowering her to the ground, just like what Ben did. He then met April's eyes for a moment before closing his eyes and kissing April like his life depended on it.

* * *

_**A/N: I stand corrected, this is the longest chapter I ever wrote for this story, whew! Did I apply what you guys told me? I mean, I did need to use some of the scenes from the original episode just to follow the same time line. I stretched Bailey's wedding and due to popular demand, Stackson will never happen in this JAPRIL fic, HOWEVER I can't promise that there won't be other people involved (*wink wink*) It's Grey's Anatomy, nobody gets their ever after easily. LOL! So, tell me guys, did I do right this time? Let me know, I'm dying to hear from you! I haven't written the next chappy yet because I'm still contemplating on what song to use, any suggestions? And oh, I'm waiting for reviews as well—so hit on the review button and tell me what you think! Cheers! **_


	7. I'll be okay

**Chapter Seven: I'll be okay**

* * *

"_**It's time to let you go, it's time to say goodbye. There's no more excuses. no more tears to cry. There's been so many changes, I was so confused. All along you were the one, all the time I never knew..."**_

* * *

It's true when they say that some good thing never lasts, especially if you happen to work in Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. The time for celebrating the love between Miranda Bailey and Ben Warren didn't last long because right after the couple said their "I do's" Adele Webber passed away. It has been a month since it happened and things are starting to pick up but knowing the hospital's history, the calmness wouldn't last long. It has also been a month since the phenomenal kiss between Jackson and April at the wedding happened and things are almost back to normal, much to the dysfunctional couple's dismay. April partially realized that she still has strong feelings towards his best friend and no matter how hard she tries; she can't seem to get him off her mind and heart. Jackson on the other hand is also trying his best to fight his _unlabelled_ feelings for April, he's abiding by her _friend zone _rule diligently and for some unknown reason he's succeeding. It's not as if April is making it hard for Jackson or something because she's doing the exact opposite, she's making it like a walk in the park for him and no matter how the Plastic Fellow denies it-it's ruffling his feathers, BIG TIME.

Jackson was sitting on the couch inside the Attendings' Lounge when April saw him; he was sitting on the couch while staring blankly at the cookie tin sitting on top of the table. "Jackson?"

Jackson turned his gaze towards the door and saw April standing between the gaps; "Hey" he greeted.

April stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her; "You okay?"

Jackson stood up from his perch and stuffed his phone inside his lab coat pocket; "Yeah, why?" he asked casually.

April shoved her hands inside her pockets and studied Jackson's face; "You seem like your thousands miles away just a minute ago" she replied.

Jackson plucked the cookie tin on top of the table before throwing April a re-assuring smile; "I just received a call from my Mom, she's coming to town to work on a case at Seattle Pres and she wanted to make sure that I deliver this to Dr. Webber."

"Oh."

"Yeah-err—so I better go and find him" Jackson said.

April nodded; "Sure" she replied.

Jackson walked towards the door and stepped out of the room without a back glance.

April walked towards the couch and plopped down; she and Jackson didn't have the chance to talk much about what happened at the wedding because of what occurred after. She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath; "Stay between the boundaries you set yourself Kepner, a kiss is just a kiss-it doesn't have to mean anything, just forget about it" she muttered to herself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was walking along the hallway when he spotted Richard standing by the nurses' station; he made a bee line towards the older surgeon and cleared his throat to get his attention.

Richard tore his eyes away from his chart and stared at the man standing right in front of him; "Is there something you need Dr. Avery?" he asked.

Jackson lifted the cookie tin in his hands and extended it towards Richard; "Sir, cookies from my Mom"

Richard shifted his eyes to the cookie tin before staring back at Jackson; "That won't be necessary" he replied politely.

Jackson ignored Richard's response and pulled a piece paper from his pocket; "It actually comes with a message and I'm supposed to read it to you to make sure that you get it" he said. He then opened the paper and began reading it; "Richard I'm in town doing a case at Seattle Pres, left you several messages and wasn't sure if you got them. I just want to make sure you're okay I'm worried about you...Baby" he paused and met Richard's gaze. "To be clear, that was her and not me"

Richard smiled; "Please tell her I'm fine"

Jackson tucked the paper back inside his pocket and lifted the cookies again; "Oh no-you gotta take the cookies sir" he insisted.

Richard cleared his throat; "That's such a nice gesture, but I'm trying to avoid sweets but would you like them?"

Jackson understood Richard's hesitation; "Err-I can put them in the Lounge and everybody can enjoy them" he conceded.

Richard smiled gratefully at the young surgeon; "That's a fine idea" he said before turning around and walking away.

Jackson sighed and watched the older surgeon go.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Why are you standing there looking so glum?" April asked as she walks towards Lexie.

Lexie shifted her face towards the red head; "They're releasing the judgement today" she replied.

April plucked her charts from the nurses' station and began perusing it; "That was fast" she said. She then paused and shifted her gaze back to the brunette; "That's good right?"

"I'm actually torn about it" Lexie admitted.

April snapped her chart closed and furrowed her brows; "Why?"

"If the decision is in our favour then it means that this hospital is negligent-whatever reward we get out of this case will be paid by this hospital. There are 6 of us in that crash, what do you think will happen to this place if they end up paying us with hefty sums?"

April pursed her lips as she thinks, after a moment her eyes widen when realization dawned on her.

Lexie sighed; "This is still a business Apes and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what will happen if they end up paying us." She then closed her eyes tightly and bowed her head; "On the other hand, I want justice-that crash almost cost us our lives, living in the woods for so long-I didn't think we'd all survive" she said ruggedly.

April shifted closer to her friend and gently wrapped her arm around the other woman's shoulder; she pulled Lexie to her side and began rubbing her arm soothingly. "Whatever happens-happens Lex, we just have to take it as it comes, stop worrying"

Lexie just nodded.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I heard that today is judgement day-I hope that the odds will be in your favour" Owen said as he walks side by side Derek.

Derek punched on the elevator button; "Yeah-I hope so. How are you holding up?" he asked as he stares at his friend.

Owen stuffed his hands inside his lab coat pocket; "I'm good" he replied.

"You and Cristina are good?"

Owen smiled; "Yeah we are, it's just weird sneaking into Karev's house early in the morning"

Derek threw the Trauma Surgeon an amused look; "You do know that you don't need to sneak in right?"

Owen chuckled; "Call it dysfunctional but I think it's kinda exciting"

Derek shook his head.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Avery!"

Jackson turned around and saw his mentor walking towards him, Sadie in tow; "Hey"

Mark stopped right in front of his prot and gestured towards her stubborn patient; "Look what the cat dragged in" he said.

Sadie rolled her eyes at Mark before turning towards Jackson; "Hey Dr. Avery, nice seeing you again"

Jackson tucked the cookie tin between his arm and waist; "It's nice to see you again Ms. Allen" he said politely.

Sadie smiled at Jackson brightly; "You can call me Sadie Dr. Avery no need to be so formal" she said.

Jackson smiled back; "If you insist...Sadie" he replied.

Mark shifted his eyes between the two before grinning widely, an idea popping into his head. "Avery why don't you take Sadie to my office, I need to take care of something I forgot to do earlier, is that okay?"

Jackson shifted his gaze to Mark; "Okay" he replied.

"You really don't have to do that Dr. Avery—I know my way around this hospital, I'm pretty sure I can find it just fine, I know you're busy" Sadie said, her cheeks reddening.

"It's alright, I don't have anything better to do. Now, why don't we head there" Jackson offered.

Sadie threw Mark a look; "You really didn't have to ask him Dr. Sloan it's-"

"Now now Sadie, be a good patient and just follow Dr. Avery, he already said that it's okay, no need to worry about it"

Sadie let out a nervous chuckle before turning towards Jackson again; "Err-lead the way" she said awkwardly.

Jackson turned toward Mark and handed him the cookie tin; "Here you can have this, if you don't want it you can leave it inside the Attendings' Lounge" he said.

Mark accepted the cookies and nodded; "Go on, don't let me keep you two" he said.

Jackson turned toward Sadie; "Let's go" he said before turning on his heels.

"Lead the way" Sadie muttered.

Mark smiled widely as he watches the pair walk along the hallway.

"Is that Jackson?"

Mark spun around and saw his fiancé walking towards him; "Yeah" he replied.

Lexie stood right in front of Mark and furrowed her brows; "Who is he walking with?" she asked.

"Sadie Allen, my tonsillectomy patient" Mark replied with a huge smile.

Lexie placed her hands around her waist and studied Mark's face; after a moment her eyes widen in disbelief because she instantly knew what his fiancé is doing. "Are you-are you playing cupid?"

"Am I that obvious?"

"I can't believe you!" Lexie said indignantly.

"Err—why?" Mark asked, clearly confused.

"What about April?"

Mark copied Lexie's stance; "What about Kepner? As far as what I know she _friend zoned _my boy so I don't see why Jackson can't see other women"

"But-but the wedding-the kiss?"

Mark rolled his eyes; "That was a month ago Lex"

Lexie wrinkled her nose; "So you're telling me that the kiss meant nothing to Jackson? Did he tell you that?"

"He didn't need to tell me, I know these things. If Kepner wants to stay within her boundaries then it's only right for Jackson to find someone else."

"You do know that they still feel strongly about each other right?"

Mark rolled his eyes again; "I know that but they both refuse to do something about it. If they want to remain best friends just to keep each other then we'll let them, it's not as if we can do anything about it. We can't force them but this I can help him with, Sadie is a nice kid and I think she and Jackson will get along very well. She's 3 years younger than him and they both graduated from Harvard and she's from Boston, common ground is a good start"

Lexie shook her head in disappointment before walking out without a word.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was typing her notes on the computer when she heard Jackson's voice; she discreetly spied on him behind the monitor and saw him laughing with a very beautiful brunette. She felt a heavy weight settle inside her chest so she quickly averted her gaze; she sank down on her chair and tried her best to hide behind the monitor.

"What on earth are you doing?"

April's head snapped to the side and saw Meredith and Cristina standing on the other side of the nurses' station, throwing her weird looks.

April let out a fake yawn and stretched her arms upward, feigning sleepiness; "Hey guys, what's up?"

Cristina placed her charts on top of the counter and smirked at the red head; "You don't have to pretend like your sleepy Kepner, we've been standing here for quite some time now" she said.

April sat straighter and cleared her throat; "I-I'm not pretending, it's true, I'm sleepy, _really_ sleepy"

Meredith leaned towards the counter and threw April a rueful look; "Are you still pinning over Jackson?" she whispered.

April met Meredith's eyes before letting out an awkward chuckle; "Of course not! Don't be silly Mer, we're just best friends"

"Best friend my ass! You look like your favourite pig just died when you saw him with another woman" Cristina said pointedly.

"I AM NOT!" April shrilled.

Meredith chuckled; "You're riling her up Cristina, leave April alone" she said.

Cristina threw Meredith a look; she then leaned forward and stared at April seriously. "Just a piece of advice Apes, if you want to be with him then do something about it but if you don't then stop pining over him and move on with your life."

April pursed her lips as she hit on the _save _button; she stood up from her perch and grabbed her lab coat from the table. "I'll keep that in mind" she said before spinning on her heels and bolting away.

Meredith threw her best friend a curious look; "Do I smell concern there?" she teased.

Cristina shrugged her shoulders; "She's making googly eyes at him and he doesn't seem to give a damn, nobody seems to want to call her off of it so I did what had to be done."

Meredith smiled; "You do care"

"It's Kepner" Cristina rolled her eyes. "She's a friend."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Here it is, you can wait here until Dr. Sloan comes back" Jackson said.

Sadie entered her designated room and sat down on the chair right in front of the desk; "Thank you" she said shyly.

Jackson leaned on the door frame and chuckled; "You've already said thank you multiple times now Sadie, it's alright."

Sadie's cheeks redden.

Jackson pulled away from his perch and grinned; "Well I gotta go I still need to check on some patients"

"Alright, thank you again Dr. Avery"

Jackson rolled his eyes playfully; "You can call me Jackson, I think we're way passed formality"

Sadie bit her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling widely; "If you insist...Jackson"

Jackson spun on his heels; "Later!" he said before walking away.

Sadie took a deep breath; "WOW"

* * *

oOo

* * *

April glumly entered the pit and made her way towards the Trauma cart; she grabbed herself a gown and quickly shrugged it on.

"Dr. Kepner? Dr. Torres and Dr. Bailey are already waiting for you at the E.R. doors" Stephanie said.

April finished lacing her gown at the back; "I'm aware. Is Trauma Rooms 1 &2, prepped?"

"Yes"

"Good" April replied. She then spun on her heels and jogged towards her waiting colleagues.

Callie turned towards April and studied the Trauma Surgeon's face; "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yep" April replied. "Do you have any idea what they're bringing in?"

"Nope" Miranda replied.

Callie opened her mouth to question April further but her attention was diverted to the ambulances that just zoomed passed them; "Looks like it's gonna be a long day" she said.

"God knows I need distraction" April mumbled before making a bee line towards the ambulance.

Miranda threw Callie a knowing look before making her way towards the other ambulance.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"So...Shane will be spending the whole day just playing ping pong with Dr. Shepherd?" Jo asked while watching her friend and the other Attending inside the conference room.

Alex placed his hands on his hips; "Yeah, it's part of his therapy" he replied.

Jo turned towards Alex and smirked; "Do you want to place a bet? I'm quite sure that Shane has this in the bag."

Alex scoffed; "Yeah right, how much?"

"$500"

Alex scrunched his face before turning towards the intern; "Where will get that amount of money?"

Jo smiled; "I won't be eating lunch and besides I'm confident with Shane's talent, so, what do you say? Scared that he'll beat Shepherd?" she hustled.

Alex smirked; "You're on. If I win, you'll end up drinking water for your meals"

"I'm quite sure I'll win"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Sadie is already inside your office, you should and check on her" Jackson said as he sidled up next to Mark.

Mark closed his patient's chart and turned towards Jackson; "Good" he replied.

Jackson stuffed his hands inside his lab coat pocket; "Is there anything else you need? Because if there's none, I'm gonna go grab coffee"

"Do you find Sadie-pretty?" Mark asked.

Jackson cocked his head to the side; "Why are you asking me that?" he asked, clearly confused.

Mark crossed his arms on top of his chest; "She's attractive and single, you're attractive and single. I think you two will make a lovely couple" he said with a large grin.

Jackson wrinkled his nose in distaste; "Why are you saying this stuff and why are we even talking about this?"

"I just figured that since you and Kepner are moving on with your lives-_separately_, I think it's about high time you find someone else to date" Mark explained.

Jackson eyed his mentor for a moment before shaking his head; he spun on his heels and began walking towards the other direction. "I'm not doing this with you"

"Think about it, you and Sadie already have a common ground, I think it'll work!"

"Stay out of it!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

April approached the ambulance and was startled when Matthew hopped out; he was pulling the gurney out and froze upon seeing April standing right in front of him.

"Hey Matthew, what do we have here?" April asked as she shifted closer to the gurney.

"Errr-strip accident" Matthew stuttered.

Miranda approached the other ambulance and threw the flustered paramedic an amused look; she then turned towards his partner Nicole and opted to ask her instead. "What do we have? MVC? GSW?"

Nicole smirked while handing out the chart; "Better, stripper pole" she replied. She then pulled the gurney out and began firing information; "Vitals are stable in the field, has abdominal tenderness from a crush injury" she said.

Miranda scrunched her face as she reads the notes.

"She slipped, make sure she's alright" The patient croaked.

"Off a pole?" Callie asked.

April tore her eyes away from the chart and stared at her patient with amusement.

The patient's wife met Miranda's eyes; "I—it was our anniversary they installed it right in the bedroom, I wanted it to be a surprise."

"It was...I thought I was gonna get na _Ipad_" The other patient replied.

Matthew cleared his throat; "She's stable and I think she just have a bruised tailbone" he explained.

April placed the chart on top of the gurney and bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing; she then turned toward Matthew and threw him a smile. "Let's get them in, shall we?"

Matthew started pushing the gurney, a shy smile painted on his lips.

Miranda wrinkled her nose, making Callie chuckle.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Nice shot Dr. Shepherd! You put a little something on that backhand?" Shane said while grinning widely.

"7 serving 2" Derek replied before serving again.

Arizona burst inside the room, wearing a frown; "The lawyer called and they need us at the courthouse, NOW" she said.

Derek paused and took a deep breath.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Mark and Lexie hastily made their way towards the courtroom and paused when they saw that the judge is no longer sitting on the pedestal; "I think we may have just missed the whole thing" Lexie whispered.

"Let's find out" Mark said as he steered Lexie towards their friends; "We're sorry, I got hold up by a post op consult and Lexie had to finish her skills lab, is it bad?" he asked.

Meredith shook her head; "We won."

Lexie's eyes widen as her grip on Mark's arm tightened; "W—we won?"

Derek nodded; "He said the airline company had a history of mechanical problems with the plane, it was in public record and the hospital should've known."

"He found the hospital negligent" Meredith said.

"Did—did they tell you guys how much the award will be?" Mark asked cautiously.

"They already did" Cristina replied.

"They're giving us $15 million dollars" Arizona said.

"Whoa" Lexie gasped.

"Each." Derek added.

Mark took a step back, clearly in shock.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Lennard Olsen, 67, came via EMS. His wife was on a stripper pole and fell on him while trying to execute a move called _sexy flexy. _His full exam indicates possible internal injuries" April explained to Stephanie. She then handed the intern the chart; "I'll need to order a scan so why don't you get Mr. Olsen's past medical history while waiting" she said.

Stephanie accepted the chart and nodded; "Sure thing Dr. Kepner"

April turned towards her patient; "I will be back" she said before exiting the room.

"Hey-"

April closed the door behind her and paused upon seeing Matthew standing right in front of her; "Hey" she replied.

Matthew scratched the back of his head; "I-I'm sorry if I sounded like a twerp a couple of minutes ago...I totally knew what to say but I-I was just caught off guard seeing you again" he said shyly.

April threw an appeasing smile at the EMT; "It's alright Matthew" she replied.

Matthew chuckled nervously; "It's just-you have this effect on me" he admitted.

April stuffed her hands inside her lab coat as she chuckles; "Well-I hope it's a good effect" she joked.

Matthew felt his cheeks flush; "Definitely good"

April bit her bottom lip; "Well-I better go, I still need to order a scan for Mr. Olsen" she said.

Matthew side stepped; "Err-go ahead, sorry for disturbing you"

"You are not disturbing me Matthew" April replied.

"See you around Dr. Kep-April"

April shook her head before walking away.

Alex scoffed upon watching the interaction between April and the dorky paramedic; "What a jerk" he mumbled.

"I think it's cute" Jo piped in.

Alex wrinkled his nose in disgust before shifting his gaze on his intern; "It's not cute, it's stupid"

Jo rolled her eyes before pulling away from the counter; "I have to go check on Dr. Bailey's patient, see you later" she said.

Alex waived his hand dismissively; "Go, work" he said.

"Hey! Have you seen Sloan?"

Alex turned around and saw Jackson standing behind him; "Why? You need some _bromance _loving?" he teased.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Have you seen him or you haven't? James, the Crouzon Syndrome kid's parents are looking for him."

Alex leaned back on the counter and crossed his arms on top of his chest; "They're at the courthouse, they're rolling out the verdict today"

"That's today?"

"Yep" Alex replied.

Jackson stuffed his hand inside his lab coat pockets; "I hope they win this case" he said.

Alex nodded in agreement; "Yeah-they've been through hell because of someone's negligence."

"Right" Jackson replied.

Alex cocked his head to the side as he peered behind Jackson's shoulder; "Why is he still hanging around?" he asked.

"Who?"

Alex pointed towards the E.R. doors; "Dorky paramedic"

Jackson turned towards the direction that his friend is pointing at; his eyes instantly narrowing upon seeing the EMT. "That's Matthew, right?"

"Yes and he's been making googly eyes at Kepner the whole freaking time, it's annoying"

Jackson felt annoyance ebbing inside his chest; "April is still talking to him?"

Alex raised his brow; "Is she not allowed? You two called it quits right?"

Jackson glared at Matthew's direction for a couple of minutes before spinning on his heels; "I'm gonna tell James' parents that Sloan will see them later" he said.

Alex shook his head.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I'm relieved...I heard about the judgement" Owen said with a smile.

Cristina sat down on the cot; "It hasn't really sunk in yet" she replied. She then thought for a moment; "Will you come with me with this thing tonight?"

Owen sat beside his ex wife; "It depends, what's the thing?"

Cristina wrinkled her nose with distaste; "It's kinda dumb, Arizona wants to have this survivor's dinner"

"Let me think about it, I still have a lot of work to do here" Owen replied.

Cristina leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on Owens' lips; "It'll be fun if you could come" she said.

Owen smiled back before leaning again and capturing Cristina's lips in his.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I still can't believe we won the case" Lexie said as she enters Mark's makeshift office.

Mark moved towards his chair and sat down; "Me too" he replied.

Lexie sat down right in front of the desk and leaned back; "The hospital will be paying us $15 million dollars each" she said. She then scrunched her face; "Yey! Bankruptcy here we come!" she mocked enthusiasm.

"I don't even want to think about it" Mark replied while rubbing his temples.

"Knock Knock?"

Mark moved his eyes towards the door; "Hey Avery, come in" he said.

Jackson stepped inside the room and placed his hands around his hips; "I heard you won congratulations" he said with a sincere smile.

"Thank you" Mark replied.

Jackson shifted his gaze to Lexie; "Why do you look so glum Lex?"

Lexie crossed her arms around her chest; "I just have a lot of things on my mind," she replied. She then turned towards Jackson; "Have you seen April?" she asked.

Jackson stood straighter; "I believe she's at the pit, Karev told me that he just saw her talking with the dorky paramedic"

Lexie's brows rose in surprise; "Really?"

Jackson scoffed; "Yeah, apparently, he's been acting like _creeper, _freaking annoying" he huffed.

Lexie threw Mark a meaningful look before standing up from her perch; "Well I'll go ahead and check on her, see you later!" she said happily. She then walked by Jackson and patted his shoulder; "Don't pout all day Jackson, I'm sure April still likes you" she teased.

Jackson shrugged off Lexie's hand; "We're just friends Lex, quit it" he hissed.

"Whatever you say Pretty Boy!" Lexie sing songed before exiting the room.

Jackson shifted his gaze to his mentor; "Your fiancé can be _very _annoying" he complained.

Mark laughed; "Don't let her get to you-she's still carrying a torch for you and April, she still believes that you two are meant to be, give her some time to move on."

Jackson wrinkled his nose in distaste; "Soul mates? She believes in that crap?" he asked.

"Cynical much?" Mark teased.

"Whatever. Anyway I came here to tell you that James parents are looking for you, they want a quick run over on your surgical plan"

Mark stood from his perch; "Alright, we'll go talk to them" he said.

Jackson just nodded and spun on his heels.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"April! There you are I've been looking for you in like-forever!" Lexie said dramatically.

April shifted her eyes away from the scans; "Hey! I heard, congratulations!" she said with a large smile.

Lexie sidled up next to her friend; "Yeah, thanks I guess" she replied.

April studied Lexie's face for a moment; "I take it that you're not quite happy with it, still thinking about the repercussions?" she asked.

Lexie sighed; "Let's not talk about it yet, I feel like my mind is about to explode"

April threw her friend a sympathetic look; "Okay" she replied. She then paused and smirked; "I think I have something that might lift your mood up a bit"

"What?"

"I have surgery in 10 minutes with Bailey, we're about to fix a diaphragm that's been punctured by a broken rib, I can kick Edwards off from the case and let you scrub in instead"

Lexie bumped her shoulder with April's playfully; "You just don't want to work with Edwards, you're still sore with her even after a month? Wow, you do know how to hold a grudge" she teased.

April turned towards Lexie and glared; "You know what, forget it. I'll just-"

"Whoa! I'm just kidding Apes! I'll be happy to scrub in with you!" Lexie said hastily.

April smirked before walking towards the door; "Then move it Grey!" she barked.

Lexie giggled as she follows the Trauma Surgeon out of the scan room.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I thought Edwards is scrubbing in with us? Why is Little Grey all scrubbed up?" Miranda asked as she climbs up her stool.

"Lexie is a little bit left behind so I opted to bring her instead" April said as she takes her place on the other side of the table.

Miranda eyed Lexie; "You sure you're up to it? This will take some time?" she asked.

Lexie nodded; "I'll be fine Dr. Bailey" she replied.

"Okay then, let's start. 10 blade please" Miranda said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Looks like you followed my advice to heart, she's hot" Mark said with a large smile.

James smiled widely; "I blind them with my awesome personality so they forget that I have a weird face."

Mark stepped inside the room; "Well that won't be for long, you ready?" he asked.

"Ready as I can be, take me away Doc!" James said happily.

Mark turned towards Jackson; "Take him to pre-op, you're scrubbing in with me" he said.

Jackson grinned as he walks towards the patient's bed; "Let's go then" he said while tugging up the side railing.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Whatever happened to just regular old sex?" Miranda asked while examining the extent of the injury. "Without poles or vaginas dressed up in rhinestone? When did plain old "Get Naked" become boring?"

Lexie eyes crinkled to the side, a tell tale sign that she's grinning behind her mask; "Rhinestones? Really? Where?"

April threw Lexie a side glance; "I think Dr. Bailey is talking about the wife, it looks like she has some-stuff on her-uhm-thing" she said. "Antibiotic Lavage"

"And I suppose men do it, bedazzled their penis?" Miranda continued.

April sighed; "I'm really trying not to think about it"

Lexie giggled; "You're still a prude Apes" she teased.

"I'm not!"

Miranda paused and turned towards the nurse; "Can somebody look that up?"

"On it" The nurse replied.

"Just foolish-idiotic" Miranda continued. She then paused and stared at April with amusement; "Kepner, you ever vajazzled yourself?" she asked.

April's cheeks pinked with embarrassment; she lifted her gaze from her patient and glared at the other Attending as a response.

"Oh, right. Jesus isn't a fan of the vajazzle" Miranda said. She then turned towards Lexie; "Little Grey?"

Lexie chuckled; "Mark will kill me" she replied.

"Right, you're fiancé is a Plastic Surgeon, I forgot" Miranda said. She then shifted her gaze to the other nurse; "Boki?"

Boki just shrugged her shoulders in response.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Opening the stomach, Babcock clamp please" Meredith said.

"Lap pads" Richard said.

Meredith locked the clamp and pulled a giant hairball from the patient's stomach.

"Whoa!" Heather gasped.

Meredith lifted it; "Look at this!" she said in disbelief.

Richard focused his attention on it; "Would you look at that, a bezoar."

Meredith turned towards her intern; "It's a giant hairball" she explained.

Heather's eyes widen; "Like from eating your hair?"

Meredith nodded; "Like eating from your hair" she confirmed.

"I used to eat dirt" Heather said offhandedly.

Meredith paused and threw Richard a baffled look.

Heather noticed the shared look between her two superiors; "I haven't in years" she said defensively.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Shane is winning, let's double the stake. $1000 bucks?" Jo said while walking towards Alex.

"Shepherd is winning, deal" Alex replied as he passed by Jo.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Take him to recovery and don't forget to check on him after an hour to make sure that the pain meds are still in effect, okay?"

"Yes Dr. Sloan" Leah replied before following James' gurney out of the O.R.

Mark took his surgical cap off and stretched his arms upward.

"You okay?" Jackson asked as he watches his mentor.

Mark turned his head sideways; "I'm good, just a little bit tired, this is the longest I have been in the O.R. after that stupid plane crash"

Jackson pushed the door open and waited for Mark to step out; "I can be on call tonight, you should go home and rest"

Mark stepped out of the O.R and turned towards his prot; "Really? You don't have any plans?"

"Yeah, I'm good, I can do it" Jackson offered.

"Thanks, that's awesome. I just remembered, Arizona wanted to have this dinner for the crash survivors and she made reservations, no way to back out on that one" Mark said.

Jackson nodded; "All is set then, enjoy your dinner" he said. He then spun on his heels and began walking towards the elevator.

"Avery?"

Jackson halted his steps and turned towards his mentor; "Yeah?"

"I really think you should give Sadie a shot, she seems to like you" Mark said.

Jackson turned towards Mark and placed his hands on his hips; "You're really not letting this go?" he asked in exasperation.

"I just think that if you're really serious on being just friends with Kepner, you have to find someone else to divert your attention to, that way you won't be _too_ focus on her" Mark explained.

"I'm not focused on April" Jackson said defensively.

Mark copied his prot's stance; "Your face turns sour every time somebody mentions Matthew's name" he challenged.

Jackson scowled; "It's because I don't like that guy!"

Mark pointed towards the young surgeon's face; "Like that, scowling."

Jackson huffed.

"Just think about it, Sadie gave me her number so if you ever change your mind just let me know, okay?"

"Fine."

* * *

"_**I want you to be happy, you're my best friend but it's so hard to let you go now all that could have been. I'll always have the memories, she'll always have you. Fate has a way of changing, just when you don't want it to. Throw away the chains. Let love fly away, till love comes again, I'll be okay..."**_

* * *

"So a little birdie told me that Matthew was here this afternoon, is that true?" Lexie asked as she walks side by side with April.

April turned her face towards Lexie and wrinkled her nose; "Who told you that?"

Lexie waived her hand dismissively; "It doesn't matter who, now tell me, why is he there?" she asked curiously.

April turned her face away and stared ahead; "Err-it's his job to bring patients in?"

"So...you're telling me that he's only here for work and nothing else? Did you already have coffee with him?"

"Yes, he was here for work and no, we haven't had coffee yet" April replied.

"You should, you know" Lexie replied.

April turned her face towards Lexie again; "Err-okay?" she asked.

Lexie halted her steps and turned towards her friend; "You're really serious about this _friend zone _thing with Jackson right?" she asked seriously.

April paused; "Y-yes, why?"

"Mark's playing cupid, he's pushing Jackson and Sadie together-if he can get his way, I'm sure he'll be able to convince Jackson to take Sadie out"

April felt a pang inside her chest but she mashed it down; "Sadie?"

Lexie sighed; "She's Mark's tonsillectomy patient last month, she's from Boston and graduated from Harvard as well, Mark thinks that it's a perfect common ground for the two to start something" she explained.

"Oh" April gasped. She then resumed her pace and rounded the corner; "Well-that's good for them right? I-I think that Mark's right-that's a pretty strong ground" she replied half heartedly.

Lexie followed the red head; "Are you okay?" she asked with concern.

April threw Lexie a smile; "Of course I am, I think it's a good idea you know, dating other people?"

Lexie studied April's face, clearly not believing a word that the red head is saying. She was about to call her friend off but a figure standing near the nurses' station caught her attention; "Err-is that Jackson's mom?" she asked while pointing towards it.

April halted in her steps and shifted her gaze towards the direction that her friend is pointing at; "Oh crap, yeah it's Jackson's mom" she replied.

"Why don't you go talk to her, she seems..._off?_" Lexie observed.

April bit her bottom lip; "I don't think that's a good idea Lex" she said.

Lexie placed her hands on her hips; "That woman likes you Apes and she looks..._lost. _You're her son's best friend, at least do something."

"But I still have to finish the notes for Mr. Olsen."

Lexie snatched the chart off of April's hand; "I'll finish it for you, I've been there the whole time and you can check it after" she said. She then pushed April forward; "Go"

April straightened her lab coat and sighed; "Fine."

Lexie gestured towards the older woman before spinning on her heels and walking towards the elevator.

April took a deep breath before approaching Jackson's mom; "Dr. Avery, Good evening" she said politely.

Catherine turned around and saw April standing behind her; she let out a sad smile before moving closer and engulfing April into a hug. "Hi sweetheart" she said.

April returned the hug before pulling away; "Are you waiting for Jackson?" she asked.

Catherine shook her head dejectedly; "I was actually hoping to talk with Richard but it seems like he's not ready to talk yet."

April reached for Catherine's arm and gave it a comforting squeeze; "I know I'm not in the position to say this but just give him some time-he'll come around"

Catherine stared at April before nodding; "I hope so-well, enough about me, did my baby boy tell you that I'll be dropping by tonight?"

April pulled her hand away; "He did mention it in passing this morning" she replied.

"Do you know where he is?"

April shook her head; "No, I just got off of a surgery-I think he's still with Dr. Sloan" she replied.

"I see, looks like I'll have to wait for him for a couple of more minutes. Do you mind keeping an old lady company while she waits for her son?" Catherine asked.

April stared at Catherine before smiling; "You didn't need to ask," she replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson grabbed his jacket from his locker and shrugged it on; he checked his pockets for his phone and wallet before he closed it.

"You going home?" Alex asked sulkily as he walks towards his own locker.

"Nope, my mom is here, I'm taking her out for drinks" Jackson replied. He then paused and stared at his friend; "What's wrong with you?"

Alex took off his scrub top off; "I lost a $1000 bucks, stupid Shepherd can't even play ping pong right" he complained.

Jackson laughed; "Who did you bet against?" he asked amusedly.

"Wilson"

Jackson smirked; "You got the hots for her, a $1000 is nothing"

Alex scowled; "For the nth time I don't have the hots for he!" he growled.

Jackson brushed off Alex's reaction and began walking towards the door; "See you tomorrow Karev!" he said jovially.

"Whatever!"

Jackson sniggered.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I thought you and my son are heading towards _that_ direction" Catherine said with a pout.

April laughed nervously; "Jackson and I-we're just best friends; I don't know where you got that idea from"

"I would've been the happiest mother if you two are to date" Catherine said point blank.

April felt her cheeks flush as she averted her gaze; "I-I don't think-"

"Well—if you two aren't an item then I suggest you go and explore baby, there are other fishes in the sea but mind you, my son is the finest amongst them" Catherine finished with a wink.

"Dr. Avery!"

Catherine laughed; "I'm just teasing you" she said. "And stop calling me Dr. Avery, I'm not my father in law, call me Catherine, we're way passed formality and we're not at work"

"Okay...Catherine" April said obediently.

"Or you can call me, Mom if you'd like" Catherine added slyly.

April eyes widen as her mouth hangs open.

"I hope you're neither harassing nor pimping April again mom" Jackson said as he walks towards the bench.

Catherine turned towards the voice and grinned widely upon seeing her son; "I'm not!" she replied.

"Jackson!" April greeted, clearly elated with his presence.

Jackson stood right in front of the bench and smiled at his two favourite women; "Why didn't you have me paged? I should've met you earlier" he said.

"Oh hush! I have April here to keep me company" Catherine said.

Jackson turned his gaze towards April and noticed that's she still in her scrubs; "You're still in shift?" he asked.

April shook her head; "Nope, I'm about to go home." She then stood up from her perch and turned towards Catherine; "It was nice catching up with you again, I hope you two have a good night, I better head out" she said with a smile.

Catherine also stood up from the bench; "Why don't you join us for drinks? We're just heading to Joe's, I'm sure Jackson wouldn't mind" she offered.

April bit her bottom lip while thinking.

Jackson shoved his hands inside his pockets; "Mom's right, just one drink won't hurt" he said.

April shifted her gaze to Jackson; "Well-alright but I'll just meet you guys there, I still have to change" she said.

"We can wait for you here, it's no bother, right mom?"

Catherine threw April an appeasing smile; "Jackson's right dear, it's quite late to walk around the street alone, we can wait" she said.

"Are you-"

"We'll wait for you, now get your pretty ass up there and change" Jackson said with a smile.

April smiled back; "Okay, if you insist, be back in a bit" she replied before jogging towards the pit's entrance.

"Pretty ass? That's a classy way to compliment a woman" Catherine said as she sits down.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "It's April mom, she knows what I mean" he replied before plopping down beside his mother.

Catherine leaned back and crossed her legs; "How are you doing baby?" she asked.

"I'm doing good, how about you? Have you talked to Richard?" Jackson asked.

Catherine wrinkled her nose; "Let's not talk about Richard" she said. She then stared at her son; "Are you dating anyone?"

"Personal life-off limits, remember?"

"You're no fun!" Catherine pouted.

Jackson just shook his head.

"At least April is open about her life" Catherine said.

Jackson turned his face towards his mother; "What did she tell you?" he asked.

Catherine raised her brow; "She's you're best friend, I'm quite sure that she already told you what I know" she said with amusement.

Jackson averted his gaze and pursed his lips; "Yeah, we talk _a lot_" he mumbled to himself.

Catherine smirked; "Yeah-I'm quite sure you know about Matthew..."

Jackson gritted his teeth; "Yeah, I know Matthew"

"Did you know that they haven't gotten the chance to go out for coffee? I mean, is she the only doctor in your hospital? 30 minutes will do but I think she's holding out because she's interested with someone else..."

Jackson turned his gaze towards his mother; "Really?" he asked.

Catherine nodded; "Yeah-I'm a woman, I should know. If we like someone and they ask us out, it doesn't take that long to decide... just like _now_"

Jackson felt his face heating so he averted his gaze again; he cleared his throat and sat straighter.

Catherine smiled at her son's reaction; "Why don't you just ask her out like a regular guy, I'm quite sure that she'll go out with you, stop acting like a shy school boy asking his first crush out"

"We're not talking about my love life mom, stop it" Jackson groaned.

"Love life? Interesting" Catherine teased.

"You're impossible!"

Catherine laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Meredith placed her cutlery on top of her plate and stared at her friends; she threw Derek a look before clearing her throat. "I have something to say"

The table quieted, signalling for the General Surgeon to continue; Lexie throwing her older sister an encouraging smile.

Meredith smiled back; "Derek and I-we're pregnant" she blurted out.

Arizona's eyes widen; "You're having a baby! Congratulations!" she chirped happily.

"Congratulations!" Mark said, offering his hand for a fist bump.

Derek laughed as he turned towards his best friend; fist bumping with him like the old times. "Thank you!"

Meredith turned towards Cristina; "I didn't tell you because I didn't think that I will be able to make it to my second trimester, hostile uterus and all."

Cristina smirked at her best friend; "I already knew you were, I'm just waiting for you to be ready and tell me. I'm happy for you" she said sincerely.

Meredith felt her eyes tearing up; "I hate this pregnancy hormones, it makes me cry all the time"

Cristina chuckled before pulling Meredith into a hug; "I'm not a hugger but I'm quite drunk and you're my person, so this is a clear exemption to the rule" she joked.

Meredith laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"So if I understand it correctly, the insurance won't be paying a single cent and this hospital will be the one to shell out all the money?" Owen asked cautiously.

"Yes" The head of the board replied.

"But we don't have the resources" Owen replied.

The head of the board sighed and leaned back on her chair; "We'll be hiring a Physician Advisor that will be able to help with the cut backs, we're doing our best to keep the doors open but if worst comes to worst, we will be forced to file for bankruptcy and closed this hospital for good."

Owen fell back on his chair, flabbergasted

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson pulled over right in front of April's apartment complex; "We're here" he said.

April opened her eyes and began surveying her surrounding; she then turned towards Jackson and smiled. "Yeah we are, your navigation skills are improving"

Jackson chuckled; "You live 10 minutes away from the hospital, it's not that hard to find" he replied.

"Fair point" April said. She then unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her bag from the dashboard; "Thanks for the ride Jackman, I appreciate it" she said.

Jackson placed his hands on the steering wheel and thought about what Mark said; he licked his lips and stared at April seriously. "Mark told me that I should date" he blurted out.

April's hand tightened on her bag, she turned her head sideways and met Jackson's eyes; "Y-yeah I've heard..."

Jackson's brows furrowed; "Heard from whom?" he asked.

"Lexie told me-Sadie's her name right?" April asked.

Jackson tightened his hold on the steering wheel as he cursed Lexie Grey mentally; "Y—yeah"

April tried her best to rein her emotions in, she smiled the most convincing smile she can muster; "I heard she's from Boston and a Harvard alumni too, looks like a perfect match"

Jackson studied April's face but no matter how hard he tries, he cannot read into it like before; "_she's closing off_ _again"_ he thought. "That's what Mark said, yeah"

April swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth before letting out another smile; "Then you should give it a try. I—I saw you this afternoon, she's very beautiful-you look good together"

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Where did you see us? I didn't see you"

"I was sitting on the nurses' station saving my notes when you passed by" April explained.

"You should've called me though, I could've introduced you" Jackson said.

April felt another pang inside her chest, this time, making her cringe; "I don't think that's necessary Jackson" she replied.

"Right-sorry" Jackson back pedalled. He then took a deep breath and squared his shoulders; "You should-you should go out too, you know."

April stared at Jackson for a moment; "_he doesn't seem to care, maybe he's really moved on? I think it's about time I should too" _she thought. "You're right...maybe I should finally take on Matthew's offer"

Jackson gritted his teeth; "Yeah—"

April nodded; she then let out a tight lipped smile before gesturing towards the door. "I should go, we still have work tomorrow"

Jackson nodded; "it's late" he replied.

April pushed the door open; "Thanks for the ride Jackman, I'll see you tomorrow, have a good night" she said before climbing out of the car. Once she's outside, she closed the door and waved at her best friend goodbye before turning around and walking away.

Jackson leaned back on his seat as he watches April enter the door; once he's satisfied that she's safely inside he let out a deep breath. "This is so fucked up" he groaned.

* * *

"_**Life passes so quickly, you gotta take the time or you'll miss what really matters, you'll miss all the signs. I've spent my life searching for what was always there, sometimes it will be too late, sometimes it won't be fair..."**_

* * *

Owen took his place on the stairs and cleared his throat; he stuffed his hands inside his lab coat pockets and stared at his staff. "Okay folks, let's start" he said loudly.

The chatter around the room quieted as all eyes focused on the Chief of Surgery.

"As many of you know, Seattle Grace Mercy West has suffered a financial setback. The administration is working hard to keep the impact of that setback as small as possible. To that end, we're gonna have to initiate some sort of cost-cutting measures. The board has hired a Physician Advisor to help."

"What's a Physician Advisor?" Meredith asked.

"Well, she consults on maximizing efficiency, streamlining the processes, assessing where we can trim our budgets-"

"Who to fire and when to fire them" Miranda piped in.

Owen ignored Miranda's comment and continued; "She's here to advise and to help, I was hoping to introduce her in person but she seems to be late" he said while checking his watch.

"Oh-on her first day? Not very efficient" Cristina joked, earning a chuckle from her peers.

"You can expect to see her along the halls, in your labs, in the O.R" Owen said.

"So we're gonna have an accountant following us around the O.R's?" Derek asked.

"She's not an accountant, she is a trained surgeon. Frankly, she is here to try to help us, thank you for your cooperation" Owen said before stepping down and walking towards his office.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Have you thought about it?" Mark asked as he walks beside Jackson.

Jackson yawned; "Thought about what?" he asked.

"About Sadie" Mark replied.

Jackson sighed as he stopped right in front of the elevator; he punched on the button before turning towards his mentor. "Will you stop bothering me if I get her number?"

Mark plucked his phone from his pocket before grinning widely at his prot; "I'll send it right now" he replied.

Jackson rolled his eyes.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Lexie!"

Lexie turned around and saw April jogging towards her; "Hey, what's up?" she asked.

April stopped right in front of Lexie; "Can I talk to you for a moment? In private?" she asked shakily.

Lexie furrowed her brows; "Is everything alright?" she asked with concern.

April bit her bottom lip and just shook her head.

"Let's go, I know a place where we can have privacy" Lexie said as she tugs on her friend's arm.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Cristina stepped inside Owens' office and closed it behind her; "I'm sorry" she said.

Owen tore his eyes away from the document his perusing and let out a small smile; "its okay, I know you're just trying to lighten up the situation—in your _own _way" he said.

Cristina walked towards the desk and sat down on the chair right in front of it; "I just wish things would've been different" she said quietly.

Owen leaned forward and grabbed Cristina's hands; "Don't worry about it, we're trying our best to fix things. I'm just glad that you are here with me, that's all that matters" he said.

Cristina let out a small smile; "I'm glad I'm here too" she replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Edwards! You'll be with me for an hour, Kepner is currently doing a consult but she'll be back soon. Give me an update" Miranda barked.

Stephanie began fumbling with her charts and began counting the beds.

Miranda placed her hands on her hips as she stares at the intern; "What the hell are you doing?"

"There-there's a woman on bed 4 who's complaining for shortness of breath" Stephanie stuttered.

Miranda scowled; "Did you check on her?" she asked.

Stephanie swallowed nervously; "I-I was about to"

Miranda spun on her heels and made her way towards bed 4; "Good Morning, my name is Dr. Bailey and I'll be your consult, my intern here told me that you're experiencing shortness of breath?" she asked while tugging off the stethoscope around her neck.

"More like shortness of life. I've been sitting here for 45 minutes and your intern didn't even bother to check if I'm still breathing" The patient replied. She then hopped off the E.R bed and stared at Miranda; "Dr. Alana Cahill, I'm the Physician Advisor, can you point me to Dr. Hunt's office? I'm 45 minutes late for my meeting" she said.

Miranda turned towards Stephanie and glared.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Lexie pushed April forward and closed the door behind them.

April turned towards her friend; "Are you sure we're allowed to be here?"

"I wouldn't take you here if we're not. People seldom go here because like you they like to think that its off limits but it's not" Lexie explained.

"Rooftops in Mercy West are off limits, that's why I asked" April replied.

Lexie stuffed her hands inside her pockets and fixed April a stare; "So what gives? What do you want to talk about?" she asked.

April blinked a couple of times before letting out a defeated sigh; "I told Jackson he can date Sadie" she blurted out.

Lexie's eyes widen in shock; "You what?!"

April turned around and opted to face the Seattle skyline; she let her shoulders sag as she fully lets her guard down. "He told me last night what Mark said and he looked like he wants to date so I told him, he can if he wants to"

"Let me guess, you're not really okay with it?"

April let out another dejected sigh; "I want to be"

Lexie stuffed her hands inside her lab coat pockets; "You guys are confusing me, you know that?"

April laughed humorlessly; "You're not the only one Lex" she said.

"You and Jackson had sex during the boards and then you left for Moline. You came back and you started going at it again but for some unknown reason you broke up out of the blue then you both decided to revert back to being best friend's again. I mean-who does that? You guys are nuts!" Lexie said with exasperation.

April turned her head towards Lexie and can't help but crack a smile; "Wow Lex, you're the only one who can summarize our story in 2 sentences."

Lexie rolled her eyes as she falls into step with the red head; "Don't try to be cheeky with me Kepner."

April turned her gaze back to the sky; "If I tell you something, can you promise me that you'll keep it to yourself?" she asked.

Lexie threw April a side glance; "I won't tell a soul" she affirmed.

April took a deep sigh, never taking her eyes off the sky; "Jackson and I broke up because we had a pregnancy scare"

Lexie gasped.

April ignored the other surgeon's reaction and continued; "It was during the time I asked you to draw blood for some tests, it was never about anemia, it was for a pregnancy test because I was 14 days late"

"Did you...?"

"No-I did not get an abortion and I was not pregnant, the lab switched my results with Meredith's because we both had the idea to name our specimen Jane Doe" April explained.

Lexie let out a sigh of relief; "What happened?"

"Jackson offered to marry me..."

"Oh my god!"

April turned toward her friend and smile sadly; "He offered to marry me because it was the honorable thing to do, not because he really wants to. I heard him talking with Mark that day, he told Mark that he was only doing it for the sake of the baby-because he didn't want our child to grow up without knowing his father" she explained. She then let out another sigh and fixed her gaze to the sky again; "He doesn't even know how to label his feelings for me-that's how unsure he was of his feelings. To be fair, I don't know what I feel for him too but I somehow have inkling that I might be in love with him, how does it feel Lex? How do you know you're in love?" she asked softly.

Lexie shifted closer to April and gently placed her arm around the red head's shoulders; "It-it really varies on people Apes" she replied.

"How did you know you're in love with Mark then?"

"My feelings for Mark are inexplicable-all I know is that, I love him so much that I can't sleep, I can't eat and I can't breathe without him by my side"

April felt the wind got knocked out of her chest as her eyes started heating up; "Fuck, I'm screwed" she said forlornly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Kepner where have you-what the hell is wrong with you?" Miranda asked as she watches April stop right in front of her.

April shrugged off Miranda's question and smiled at the General Attending; "Thank you for taking over Dr. Bailey, I'll take it from here" she replied politely.

Miranda placed her hands on her hips; "You have puffy red eyes, are you sure you can take care of the pit? We don't want another blunder here today after all"

April furrowed her brows and stuffed her hands inside her lab coat pockets; "What happened?"

Miranda gestured towards Stephanie; "She managed to make our E.R. look _inefficient _in a matter of 45 minutes"

"Huh?"

"Remember the Physician Advisor that the board hired to evaluate us?"

"Yes"

"Well, her first stop happens to be here. She pretended to be a patient to check how long our patient intake is, unfortunately Edwards there-forgot to check on her and made her wait for 45 minutes before she was tended to."

"Oh god" April groaned.

Miranda shook her head; "There's nothing we can do now, let's just try our best to make this pit more _efficient _next time Cahill comes. So-I'm asking you again, are you okay?"

April squared her shoulders and nodded; "I'm okay Dr. Bailey, I'll take it from here and I'll make sure that no single intern will slack off" she said confidently.

Miranda stared at April for a moment before nodding; "Okay then," she replied.

April spun on her heels and made a bee line towards the interns who are chatting idly by the nurses' station.

Miranda watched in fascination as the red head started barking orders, making the interns squirm and run towards their designated zone.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You excited for our surgery? This is our first" Derek asked as he walks side by side Lexie.

Lexie smiled widely at her brother in law; "I'm more than excited" she replied giddily.

"This will be an 8 hour long and tedious surgery with high post excision mortality/morbidity rate, you ready?" Derek asked as he stops right in front of his patient's room.

"I already know that Derek, we've been working on Jimmy's case even before the stupid plane crash, let's not make him wait even longer" Lexie replied.

Derek grinned; "That's why I like having you in my service, you got balls. Now, let's say Hi to Jimmy" he said before pushing the door open.

Lexie bit her bottom lip to keep herself from grinning like a loon, Neuro is definitely her specialty.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Just press the button up here if the pain is not tolerable, okay?" Jackson reminded his patient.

"Yeah" James croaked.

Jackson smiled; "I better head out, I'll check on you again later" he said before spinning on his heels and stepping out of the room. He was closing the door behind him when he spotted his mentor walking towards him; "Don't you have anything to do? If the Physician Advisor sees you doing nothing she might sic Hunt on our department."

Mark waived his hand dismissively; "They can't cut anything from Plastics, there are only 4 Fellows here and you don't have to worry about being cut off, you're last name will save you."

Jackson glared at Mark; "That makes me feel a whole lot better, using my last name" he said sarcastically.

Mark rolled his eyes; "Fine. They can't cut you off because I'm sticking my ass out for you, you're mine and they cannot touch what's mine, happy?"

Jackson cringed; "Now that doesn't sound right"

"Whatever, I know you get me anyway" Mark replied.

"What are you doing here anyway? Are you bored? Why don't you trail behind your fiancé instead of bugging the hell out of me"

Mark pursed his lips; "Lex is operating with Derek, Acoustic Neuroma."

Jackson whistled appreciatively; "Wow, Shepherd is starting with a bang" he said. He then paused; "Wait-doesn't that take hours? Can Lexie handle that?"

"She can handle it, she's tough cookie" Mark replied.

Jackson nodded; "I see."

Mark eyed Jackson for a second; "So...you already made the call?" he asked.

"Here we go again" Jackson mumbled as he began walking away.

Mark leaned on the counter and crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Your phone cannot make a call by itself Avery, you actually have to use it! Call her; I'm sure she's dying to hear from you!"

"I'll call her because I want to call her and not because you bullied me into it!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Brian Turner, age 55. Minor head injury, vital signs are stable" Matthew said as he hopped off the ambulance.

"Fall off the damn ladder cleaning the damn gutter" The patient croaked.

Matthew smiled at April; "I was gonna say that-fewer damns" he said while handing his notes.

April smiled back and accepted it; she turned her attention towards Stephanie and stared at her. "You'll need to know if he lost consciousness in the field"

Stephanie turned towards the patient; "Sir did you lost consciousness in the field?" she asked.

"I didn't fell in a damn field, I fell in my damn yard" The patient replied.

April glared at the intern; "Ask the paramedic not the patient" she said sternly.

"He was conscious the whole damn time" Matthew supplied, making April crack a small smile.

Stephanie looked abashed; "Can we start over?" she asked.

"No time. Get him triaged, go" April said before running off towards the other incoming gurney.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"45 minutes in an E.R. bed before I saw a doctor?" Alana asked with a raised brow.

Owen cringed; "Well, that's not good"

"No it's not. I'll have to add that to the things that needs to be re-evaluated" Alana said carefully.

Owen gritted his teeth as he leads her into his office.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April entered the Trauma Room and raised brow in amusement as she watches Stephanie listen to Matthew's report; she noticed the faint blush staining the intern's cheeks and she can't help but chuckle at how flustered the intern looks. She bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling as she slipped on her gloves; "Stop" she interjected, making Matthew pause. "Dr. Edwards, what injuries are we more concerned on this patient?" she asked as she shifted closer to the bed.

Stephanie paused; "We always start with the ABC's" she replied.

"If you'd been listening to Matthew here, you'd already have your answer. Can you start over?" April asked.

Matthew nodded; "There is significant damage to the dashboard" he said slowly.

April turned her gaze towards her intern; "What's the basic law of motion Edwards?"

Stephanie threw her Attending a confused look; "The basic law?"

April rolled her eyes; "Energy cannot be created or destroyed but can change in form or be absorbed"

Matthew threw April an impressed look.

Stephanie's eyes widen; "Which means the impact to the dashboard was absorbed by the patient."

"So-the injuries of the patient we're most concerned with are?"

"Knee injury, possible pelvis, c-spine" Stephanie replied somewhat triumphantly.

"Matthew here stabilized the pelvis in the field so now you can start your exam" April said with a little smile.

Stephanie let out a relieved smile before she started working on the patient.

April smirked at Matthew.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You give tough love in here" Matthew said as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Am I too hard on her?"

Matthew chuckled; "Not really" he replied.

April raised her brow as she took a sip of her own coffee; "You don't sound convincing there"

"Fine, you were scary in there" Matthew admitted.

April laughed; "I know how I sounded inside the Trauma Room Matt and its okay" she said. She then paused and leaned back on the bench; "Interns need tough love-it's the only way for them to learn. Babying them and holding their hand won't work because I already tried that and instead of earning their respect I ended up being called _The Dud_" she said thoughtfully.

"_The Dud_? What's that supposed to mean?"

"The least wanted Attending-in short, the most pathetic doctor in this hospital" April replied.

Matthew winced; "That's awful!"

"Don't I know it?"

"I've been seeing you work for quite some time now and you are clearly not _The Dud_" Matthew said.

April smiled; "I already set them straight but thank you for saying that" she said.

Matthew smiled back.

April shifted her eyes to her coffee and began stirring it; "_You're sitting beside a guy who clearly likes you and yet you don't feel anything. You saw him interacting with the same intern you saw Jackson teaching and instead of being jealous-you actually think they make a cute couple? What the hell is wrong with you April? Are you losing your freaking mind? No I don't think so-you're just in love-in love with the wrong guy, stupid love!" _she thought.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

April tore her eyes away from her coffee and shifted her eyes back to Matthew; "Uh-sorry"

Matthew took a sip of his coffee; "I lost you there for a second" he replied.

"Yeah" April replied. She then sighed and leaned back on the bench; "I just have a lot of things on my mind I guess."

Matthew stared at April for a moment; "It's not working, right?"

April turned her head sideways; "What's not working?"

Matthew winced; "This-between us, you don't feel anything?"

April's eyes widen in shock, totally not expecting Matthew to be blunt.

"Bummer" Matthew said with an embarrassed smile.

April cringed; "I-I'm sorry..."

Matthew leaned back on bench, his shoulders sagged in defeat.

"I'm sorry Matthew-you seem really nice and kind and you're _really_ good looking but-"

Matthew turned his face sideways, facing April; "You're already in love with someone else" he finished.

April bit her bottom lip and sighed.

"You love him that much?"

April nodded.

Matthew turned to face the Trauma Surgeon; "Does he know?"

April's grip on her cup tightened; "It's complicated"

Matthew cocked his head to the side; "Love is not complicated, people are" he said wisely.

April turned towards Matthew, a small smile visible on her lips; "That's a good one" she said.

Matthew stared at April with full seriousness; "If you love this guy then tell him because he's _really _lucky. You're one hell of a catch Dr. April Kepner, it's just too bad that I wasn't able to catch you before you fell" he finished with a rueful smile.

April's eyes started to sting; "Don't say things like that, you're gonna make be bawl like a bitch baby!"

"Don't cry on me now, if there's someone who deserves to cry-it's me. I've just been officially dumped over coffee" Matthew joked. "On our first date" he added as an afterthought.

April giggled as she wipes her eyes hurriedly; "I didn't dump you per say-I just didn't want you to wait on someone whose in love with someone else"

Matthew pretended to scratch his chin while in thought; "Point taken"

"But kidding aside, I still want to be your friend Matthew...I hope you'll let me" April said seriously.

Matthew let his hand drop to his lap before smiling at the red head; "That's a no brainer Kepner, of course you can be my friend."

April grinned and offered her hand; "Let's shake on it then,"

Matthew chuckled before shaking April's hand; he was about to pull his hand away but April won't let go. "Err-why are you holding on to my hand?" he asked.

April continued grinning; "As a friend, I think I know someone who's kinda interested in you" she said.

Matthew's cheeks instantly flush bright red as his eyes widen in shock.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson gnashed his teeth together and forced himself to turn around and walk away; he went to the pit with the intention of asking April to join him for coffee but it seems like she already found a new coffee buddy. He glumly entered the pit again and let out dejected sigh; he made his way towards the nearest on call room and pushed to door open. He entered the room with another sigh and walked towards the bed; he plopped down and fell on his back. He closed his eyes and covered it with his right arm; "You gotta stop this, you're the one who pushed her to entertain Matthew, you shouldn't feel like this" he muttered to himself. "Time to move on Jackson Avery"

* * *

"_**I won't give up, I won't give in. I can't recreate what just might have been, I know that my heart will find love again. Now is the time to begin. I'll be okay, coz I can't hold on forever..."**_

* * *

"How's your first surgery?" Mark asked while leaning on the wall.

"It went well considering I had to throw Cahill out of my O.R." Derek replied.

Mark whistled as he pushed away from the wall; "She's really spying on surgeries?" he asked.

Derek scrunched his face; "She is and it's very annoying" he huffed.

"I feel for you man" Mark said.

Derek took off his scrub cap off; "Lexie is just scrubbing out, she'll be out in a minute. I, on the other hand needs to find my wife"

Mark smirked; "Speaking of your wife, I heard she's been crying all over the place and terrorizing Ross all day"

Derek chuckled; "She's a little bit hormonal as of the moment" he replied.

"Don't let her hear you say that, there'd be hell to pay"

"Why?"

"I'm talking from personal experience bro, Callie gave me hell when she heard me talking to Arizona about her hormones" Mark explained.

"Oh, I see. Well, thanks for the advice, I'll keep that in mind" Derek said with a thoughtful look on his face, he then gestured towards the elevator; "I'm heading out, see you tomorrow" he said before walking out.

"Good night!" Mark called out.

Derek lifted his hand and waved goodbye; "Night" he said.

Lexie stepped out of the O.R. and saw her fiancé standing on the hallway; "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Mark turned towards Lexie and smiled; "Picking you up of course" he said.

"I'm tired, I want to go home" Lexie replied.

Mark walked towards Lexie and began rubbing her arms; "We can crash on my place" he said huskily.

Lexie stared at Mark's face and remembered April's crying form; she narrowed her eyes and pulled away. "I'm not in the mood Mark, I'm going home with Mer and Derek" she said.

Mark's eyes widen in surprise; "But we had plans tonight" he said, aghast.

"I changed my mind. Why don't you just bother Jackson again, bully him until you get him to cave in and date your stupid patient" Lexie spat before sauntering away.

Mark stood rooted on the spot.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson checked his phone as he briskly walked towards the elevator; he run towards it when he saw the doors closing. "Please hold it!" he yelled. He let out a relieved sigh when the doors opened again; "Thanks-are you alright?" he asked as he stepped inside.

"Lexie ditched our date night and opted to go home with Meredith and Derek" Mark said.

Jackson punched on the button and turned to face his disgruntled mentor; "Maybe she's tired? She's been in the O.R. for what-8 hours?"

Mark shifted his gaze to Jackson; "She ditched me because I keep on pushing you to date Sadie"

"Huh? But why?"

"I also don't know" Mark replied.

Jackson sighed and shoved his hands inside his pockets; "You can tell her that you're not pushing me to date Sadie-I'm dating her because I want too" he said quietly.

Mark's eyes widen; "What do you mean you're dating her?"

Jackson cleared his throat; "I called her up this afternoon-we're grabbing a drink at Joe's tonight, that's where I'm heading now" he said.

Mark cocked his head to the side; "What changed your mind?" he asked, clearly confused with his prot's decision.

Jackson shrugged his shoulders; "I think you're right-I think it's time to start seeing other people. This thing with me and April-it won't go away on its own, I have to do something about it, so, here I am, following your advice, I'm dating" he explained before turning around to face the door.

"Crap" Mark muttered lowly.

Jackson turned his face towards his mentor; "Huh?"

Mark shook his head; "Err—nothing, have a good date" he said.

"Thanks" Jackson replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"We'll wait for you in the car, take your time!" Meredith said before dragging Derek towards the exit.

"You just want to have your way with Derek! 15 minutes and I'll be out there so make it fast!" Lexie called out.

"Thank you Lex!" Meredith replied with a giggle.

Lexie smiled as she shook her head; "Pregnancy hormones" she muttered to herself.

"I thought you have a date night with Mark, what are you still doing here?"

Lexie turned around and saw April walking towards her; she smiled at her friend and patted the vacant seat beside her. "I cancelled, I'm tired, come sit with me while I wait for my sister to have her wicked ways with her _McDreamy_."

April let out a giggle before plopping down beside her friend; "Let me guess, pregnancy hormones gone wild?"

Lexie chuckled; "Yeah, well-it beats her crying spell. Have you heard about her bitching on your star student the whole day?"

"I saw it with my own two eyes, thank God I'm no longer an intern" April said.

Lexie nodded in agreement; "Thank God she accepted me as her sister"

April chuckled; she then leaned back on the bench and titled her head upwards. "I had coffee with Matthew today"

Lexie's eyes widen; "Really? How did that go?"

April turned her head sideways; "I told him not wait for someone who's in love with someone else" she said.

"Oh Apes..."

April shifted her gaze away and continued staring at the night sky; "I don't want to string him along, Matthew is a nice guy and I don't want to end up hurting him. This feeling I have for Jackson-I don't see it fading away any time soon, It took me awhile to admit that I'm in love with him and I think it will take longer to fall out of love with him" she said.

"Are you telling him then?" Lexie asked.

April turned her gaze back to her friend and smiled, albeit sadly; "He's moving on Lexie and I just told him that he can date, I won't go back my word just because I was able to finally figure out my feelings for him" she said. She then let out deep breath and thumped her hands on her thighs; "I can't hold on forever Lex so I'm gonna try to move on as well-I'll just focus on my boards so that I can with my Fellowship."

Lexie threw April a concerned look; "No offense Apes but you're starting to freak me out a bit" she admitted.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be okay" April replied with an appeasing smile.

"Err-okay"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson entered Joe's and started scanning the place; when he spotted Sadie he hastily made his way towards the brunette. "I'm sorry I'm late"

Sadie turned towards Jackson and smiled; "You're not late, I just arrived 5 minutes ago, meeting ran late" she replied.

Jackson smiled back; "Same here, post op ran late too. Let me get you a drink, what do you want?" he asked.

"Gin tonic" Sadie replied.

"One gin tonic coming right up, be back in a minute" Jackson said before making a bee line towards the bar.

Sadie waited for Jackson to turn around before letting out the breath that she's been holding for awhile; "Calm down Sadie, keep your cools" she mumbled to herself.

Jackson leaned on the bar and smiled at Joe; "I'll have one gin tonic and jack on the rocks" he said.

"April didn't want her usual Jack and Coke?" Joe asked as he prepares the drink.

Jackson scratched the back of his head as he chuckles; "I'm not with April" he replied.

"Oh, sorry-I just thought, never mind" Joe said sheepishly.

"It's alright" Jackson replied.

Joe placed the freshly made drink right in front of the surgeon; "Here you go, should I keep your tab open?" he asked.

Jackson grabbed the drinks; "Yeah, thanks!" he replied before turning around and walking towards their table. _"**T**his is your first step on moving on, don't choke Jackson Avery, you can do it!" _he thought. "Here goes nothing" he mumbled.

* * *

_**A/N: Told you there will be other people involved! Knowing Jackson and April's history—not everything runs smoothly simply because she's too indecisive & he's is too guarded. A simple kiss during a wedding won't be enough to break whatever it is between them-YET, because they're both too stubborn for their own good. I'm still following the original time line, it's easier that way-it keeps me from messing it up too much and for you to be able to understand the emotion behind the scenes because I'm sure you've watched the episodes multiple times (^-^)/**_

_**I would also like to take this opportunity to say my heartfelt thank you to those people who continue to follow and read this story. You guys are my inspiration-my reason to keep writing. Your awesome reviews keep me going and makes me smile this big (^-^) Again, THANK YOU! Next chapter will up next week (hopefully), I'm quite excited to write it actually, a lot of bunnies are running through my head, I hope I can put them into words before they hop out. And oh, I'm also thinking of bringing back someone from the previous seasons, want to guess? Click on the review button and let me know what you think about this chapter! Cheers!**_

_**PS: I'm still blown away with episode 10x13, the writers outdid themselves, it couldn't have gone better than that. Gotta love Jackson's crass proposal and April's facial expression, I still can't get over his dialogue about bears and not talking with everybody, that was HILLARIOUS! LOL! ^-^**_


	8. Now you tell me

**Chapter Eight: Now you tell me**

"_**Is there anything that can make you happy? I don't know what to say to make it better. Seeing you like this, down and hurt so badly when you have been so kept together..."**_

* * *

It has been a week since April finally admitted out loud that she's in love with Jackson; 7 days, 168 hours, 10,080 minutes, 604,800 seconds to be exact and much to her dismay she's still counting-because like what she told Lexie, the pesky emotion won't seem to go away. A lot has happened within a week; the E.R was forcefully shut down because as per Alana Cahill its hemorrhaging resources-_Jackson is now officially dating Sadie Allen_. She's now doing more General and Neuro since Trauma is no longer an option-_Jackson seems to be happy with Sadie_. The interns are in full panic because as the days progressed, they're also getting closer to being cut off the program-_Jackson is moving on and she's still stuck on the same spot where he left her_. And oh, Matthew and Stephanie seem to be getting along perfectly, that's the only good thing that happened so far.

"April?"

April shook her head to clear her mind and turned towards the voice; "Hey"

Derek placed his hands on his hips and cocked his head to side; "What are you doing here?" he asked.

April hopped off of the bed and snatched her lab coat from the side; "I just needed a minute to think. Did you need something?"

Derek eyed the Trauma Attending; "I'm sorry our plan didn't work"

April smiled, albeit sadly; "Well-we can't sell a new house with the used shag carpet now, can we?" she joked.

Derek cracked a smile; "We can if we promise to disinfect and tent it" he replied.

April giggled.

Derek gestured towards the door; "I have to do rounds on the patients we operated on last night, want to keep me company?"

"Isn't Lexie under your service?"

"Lexie is currently under her older sister's beck and call, she's her favourite person today"

April grinned; "I can imagine Lexie's face"

Derek chuckled; "You should see Mer's" he replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"So you're telling us that nothing is really happening with you and Wilson?" Cristina asked curiously.

Alex scowled at Cristina before yanking the fridge door open; "How many times will I have to tell you that we're friends-just friends!" he huffed irritably.

Cristina took a bite of her banana; "But you we're like K9's in heat last night, howling and growling-LITERALLY" she said after swallowing.

Meredith and Lexie both laughed at the Cardio Surgeons facial expression.

Alex grabbed himself a bottle of water before snapping the fridge shut; "We were trying to distract you guys from having LOUD monkey sex" he quipped.

Cristina smirked; "So you're telling me that you've been listening all along? Oh evil spawn, just stuff Wilson's turkey it's a lot better than listening" she teased.

Alex glared at Cristina before taking a sip of his water.

"Oh goodie, Pretty Boy is here" Cristina said happily.

Jackson threw Cristina a confused look as he makes his way to his locker; "Did I miss anything?" he asked.

Cristina leaned back on her chair; "I saw you at Joe's last night with your girlfriend and she seems a little wasted, were you able to stuff her turkey? Because Alex here prefers to listen to loud monkey sex than actually doing it"

Jackson scrunched his face in disgust; "You actually eat with that mouth?" he asked. He then turned towards the Ped's Fellow and smirked; "Still pining for Wilson, I see" he teased.

Alex scowled at Jackson before storming towards the door; "You're all very annoying!" he growled.

"Stop harassing Alex" Meredith said in a chastising way.

Cristina shrugged her shoulders; "Evil spawn just makes it so easy"

Meredith rolled her eyes.

Jackson tugged on his scrub top on; "Hey Lex, is Mark in already?" he asked.

"Yeah, he's in his office" Lexie replied.

Jackson slung his stethoscope around his neck and grabbed his lab coat from his cubby; "And oh, Sadie wants to know if you prefer Italian or Mexican?"

Lexie crossed her arms on top of her chest petulantly; "We're still doing that?"

Jackson shrugged his shoulders; "It was your fiancé's idea, not mine" he replied.

"Like a double date?" Meredith asked her sister as she rubs her belly.

"It was Mark's stupid idea, god knows I don't want to do this stuff" Lexie mumbled.

Jackson placed his hands on his hips; "Well you should've told him so, now he managed to loop Sadie into this and she's taking it seriously"

Cristina shifted her eyes and noticed April standing by the door; "Hey Apes!" she called out loudly.

April stepped into the room and let out an awkward smile; "Morning" she said. She then turned towards Meredith and Lexie; "Err-Derek sent me here to see if you can spare Lexie for just an hour? He needs help for his post ops" she said.

Lexie cocked her head to the side; "Post ops for?" she asked.

"For the patients we operated on last night"

Meredith threw April a confused look; "Why didn't he take you instead? They're your patients too"

April shifted in her feet; "I was supposed to but then I have to go somewhere" she replied.

"Go where?" Cristina asked curiously.

April turned towards the Cardio Fellow; "I'm doing a ride along, the EMT's need help, they're being re-routed to Seattle Pres with a kid who's under massive Trauma so-I'm it" she explained.

"You're going with Matthew then?" Lexie asked excitedly.

April turned her gaze towards Lexie; "I'm not _going_ with Matthew, I'm helping him" she clarified.

Jackson furrowed his brows; "You mentioned that the patient is a kid, why are they sending you and not Karev?" he asked, speaking for the first time.

April shifted her gaze to Jackson; "Alex is currently doing a pictorial for the new face of this hospital so Hunt decided to send me and this is a Trauma case Jackson, that's my specialty in case you have forgotten"

Jackson pushed away the niggling feeling inside his chest and just nodded.

Meredith noticed the tension between the odd couple and turned towards her sister; "Go but make sure that you're back after an hour, okay?"

Lexie hopped up to her feet before smiling at her sister; "Okay" she said. She then turned towards April; "Walk with me?" she asked.

April smiled at Lexie; "Sure, I'll see you guys later" she said before making her way towards the door, Lexie in tow.

"Be safe Kepner! God knows those ride along with our doctors doesn't end well!" Cristina yelled.

"Will do! See ya!" April replied.

Jackson turned towards Cristina and scowled; "You didn't have to say that you know? She'll be safe" he huffed before storming out of the room.

Cristina wrinkled her nose and turned towards Meredith; "What did I say? I only wanted to remind Apes to be safe"

Meredith chuckled; "He's pissed enough that April will be with Matthew and you just reminded him of our luck with these things. He'll be worried sick all day, thinking that his best friend might die in that ride along"

"Oh, you're right" Cristina said.

Meredith shook her head.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Pretty Boy is here, can I go now?" Alex asked irritably.

"Just a minute Dr. Karev" Alana replied as she peruses the pictures.

"Who pissed on your cheerios?" Mark asked.

Jackson crossed his arms on top of his chest and stood beside his mentor; "I didn't know that this hospital allows ride alongs, do you know anything about that?" he asked.

"Why? Did they ask you to do a ride along?"

Jackson scoffed; "As if I'll step foot inside that freaking ambulance. April did the ride along; it was supposed to be Karev but his doing this stupid thing"

Mark sighed; "Let me guess, she's riding with Taylor?"

"Don't remind me!" Jackson huffed. He then cleared his throat loudly; "Am I needed here? Because if I'm not I'd rather check on my patients" he said rudely.

Alana tore her eyes away from the computer; "Just give me another minute and your next" she replied curtly before shifting her eyes back to Alex. "One more pose and you're done Dr. Karev and please try hard to smile this time"

Alex groaned.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Thank you for doing this, I'd rather have you on board than Dr. Karev, no offense but he's a douche" Matthew said.

April laughed; "Alex can be douchey but he's a good doctor"

Matthew winced; "I know that-he just doesn't seem to like me" he admitted.

April smiled; "Don't worry it's not just you, he doesn't like anyone" she said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Can you please explain to me why we're being followed by these idiots around?" Alex whispered to Jackson.

Jackson huffed; "If you don't have the slightest idea then I don't have one" he replied lowly. "Did you know that you could have avoided this?"

"How?" Alex asked.

"You were supposed to do a ride along to Seattle Pres, the dorky paramedics needed help with a kid who have undergone Trauma"

Alex scrunched his face; "Fuck! And I'm stuck doing this?" he asked indignantly.

Jackson shrugged his shoulders.

"Who did they send?"

"April" Jackson replied.

Alex smirked; "She's doing the ride along with McGooglyEyes?"

"Yeah" Jackson replied gruffly.

"That explains your pissy attitude" Alex said as he pushed the door to their patient's room open.

"I'm not acting pissy!" Jackson snapped.

"Whatever Avery" Alex said. "Good morning Brian"

Jackson rolled his eyes.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"And here we have a fully electronic records system, everything you need to know about any client at anytime. Smart, streamlined and very efficient" Alana said proudly.

The buyers look impressed.

Owen walked towards her and smiled; "I'm Dr. Owen Hunt and I'm the Chief of Surgery here in Seattle Grace Mercy West. It's nice to see you all this morning, now let me give you a tour" he said politely.

"This way please" Alana gestured towards the hallway.

Callie turned towards Richard and frowned; "Have you seen their website?"

Richard shook his head; "No, have you?"

"I did and it's not pretty, well aside from the Pegasus that keeps on galloping every 5 seconds."

Richard cringed; "Did it even have some information about the hospital itself?"

Callie shook her head; "Not a single word about healthcare, am I crazy to think that we're screwed?"

"No, you're not the only one who thinks that" Richard said. He then stood up from his perch; "Fancy a road trip?"

Callie stared at the old Chief of Surgery before grinning widely; "I'm driving" she said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Have you seen the men in suits?" Lexie asked.

Mark snapped his chart closed; "Yeah, why?" he asked.

"They're the potential buyers?"

Mark nodded; "I think so" he replied.

Lexie sighed; "We're screwed"

"I know"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Ma'am you can now step away from the patient, we're here to help"

Izzie tore her eyes away from the patient, her eyes widening upon recognizing the woman who's jogging towards her; "April Kepner?"

April paused and stared at the blonde woman tending to their patient; "Izzie Stevens?" she asked in shock.

Izzie let out a small smile; "Fancy meeting you again, it would've been nice if it's under a different situation."

April hastily kneeled right in front of the patient and began examining the extent of the damages; "I know, it's nice seeing you too but why are you with the patient? Are you related?" she asked.

"No, I was driving along this neighbourhood and saw the accident happen, I stopped by and helped" Izzie replied.

April winced upon seeing the dark bruise that's starting to form on the kid's stomach; "It's actually a good thing that you happen to pass by" she said. She then turned to Matthew and Nicole; "We need bandages and oxygen, stat" she said.

Matthew and Nicole hurriedly made their way towards the ambulance rig.

Jackson checked his phone and sighed when he didn't see any messages; _"I hope you're safe"_ he thought. He then pushed the door open and stepped inside the room; "Good morning everyone, I'll be the one to conduct this seminar, I will teach you basic wound closure using the interrupted 2 layer technique, I expect that by the end of this day each and every one of you can perform it flawlessly" he announced loudly.

"That's the best we can do, we need to take him to the hospital or he'll die" Izzie said.

April turned towards Nicole; "What did Seattle Pres said?" she asked.

"They're slammed and they cannot accommodate us" Nicole replied.

"Then we'll have to take him to Redmond then" April replied with a sigh.

Izzie's eyes widen; "But this kid doesn't have an hour April, he will die!"

"I know that! But there's no other place to take him. Our E.R. has been closed, there's no other hospital who will take us in!" April replied, panic surging inside her chest.

"Can you call Hunt or someone? Perhaps they can make an exemption for this? This kid doesn't deserve to die April and you and I both know that" Izzie said.

April shifted her eyes to the patient; "Oh screw it!" she hissed. She then snatched her phone from Matthew's jacket pocket and hit on the speed dial button; she shifted her phone to her ear and bit her lower lip nervously.

"Who are you calling?" Izzie asked.

April turned her eyes to Izzie; "Someone who can help" she replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Am I doing it right Dr. Avery?" Stephanie asked.

Jackson leaned forward and studied the intern's work; "You're pulling too hard, try to relax your hand a bit, that'll do the trick" he said.

"Thank you" Stephanie replied.

Jackson walked towards Jo but paused when his phone rang loudly; he quickly pulled it out of his pockets and felt a mixture of relief and dread upon seeing April's number. "I have to take this, you guys continue with your work" he said. He then hastily made his way towards the door and stepped out of the hallway; he hit on the answer button and shifted his phone to his ear; "Are you okay? Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Everything is okay-I know you're busy and I wouldn't call if it isn't an emergency" April replied.

Jackson furrowed his brows; "What happened?" he asked.

"The ride along I did today is a 10 year old kid-hit and run"

"Damn it! I still can't get in" Matthew's voice resounded on the other line, making Jackson gnashed his teeth; "Are you on your way to Seattle Pres?" he asked.

"Manually ventilate him again" April said.

"His SAT is still under the gutter, we have to load him now" Matthew said urgently.

"April?" Jackson called out, getting the Trauma Surgeon's attention.

"Seattle Pres is slammed so they're diverting us to Redmond but that's an hour away and this kid-he doesn't have an hour Jackson, he doesn't" April replied frantically.

"All right, all right, calm down. How are his vitals?" Jackson asked.

"Bad, we've got no airway, I can't crike. He's got sub-q emphysema. He will die en-route if we have to go way out there-he will die."

"Are you asking what I think you're asking?" Jackson asked.

"If I am, will you do it?"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Chief a moment, please?" Jackson asked.

Owen turned towards the buyers and smiled; "Excuse me" he said. He walked towards Jackson and stopped right in front of the young surgeon; "Yes?"

"Kepner's calling with a hit and run kid, the ride along you sent her to"

Owen furrowed his brows; "Is she okay? What happened?"

"She's okay but the kid is not. Seattle Pres cannot accommodate them because their slammed, they're being rerouted to Redmond but that's an hour away and the kid doesn't have an hour because he's in a very bad shape. We're closer, much closer" Jackson explained.

"I see-I can arrange-"

"Absolutely not" Alana said sternly, interrupting the conversation between the two surgeons. "We're not a Trauma Center anymore, if we take them in and something happens to them-"

Jackson frowned and turned towards Owen; "Chief, it's a kid" he said.

Owen took a deep breath before meeting Jackson's eyes; "Protocol dictates the patient goes to the nearest Trauma Center and that's not us...I'm sorry" he said through gritted teeth.

Jackson placed his hands around his hips and stared at Owen disappointedly.

"Dr. Avery? Larry is looking for you" Stephanie said, Jo standing beside her friend.

Jackson's phone beeped so he took it off his pocket and read the message; after a moment he stared at his interns. "Can I trust you?" he asked.

Jo and Stephanie both nodded.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Wow, this place looks like a ghost town" Jo said.

Jackson just raised his brow in response.

Jo stood straight and cleared her throat; "So, where do we start?"

"You can start by guarding the door, no one can know about this, no one comes in, do you understand" Jackson said seriously.

Jo nodded; "Okay" she replied.

Jackson stared at his intern before nodding; he then started clearing the space but paused when he heard raised voices arguing outside. He furrowed his brows and hastily made his way towards the door; he yanked the door open and saw Jo blocking Meredith from entering the room.

"I'm an Attending and I'm ordering you to let me in" Meredith said calmly.

"Well you're not my Attending today so no" Jo replied.

"Don't make me force you"

"Jo it's okay, I paged her, she's cool" Jackson said with amusement.

Jo cringed and threw Meredith an apologetic look; "I hope you understand, I would never ordinarily speak to you in that way and I look forward to working on your service again soon."

Meredith rolled her eyes and turned towards Jackson; "How can I help?"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Where the hell is Avery?" Mark asked as he steps out of their patient's room.

Alex scratched the back of his head; "I just saw him a couple of minutes ago, maybe he's doing a consult?"

"He better make it fast because I'm not scrubbing in for him, this is your patient, not mine" Mark huffed.

"Don't I know it?" Alex replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was just securing the IV lines of the patient and the next thing she knows-she's being thrown towards the end of the rig.

"April!" Izzie shrieked.

April felt her head hit the metal door and groaned when pain radiated inside her skull; she shifted her eyes towards izzie. "I'm okay-what happened?" she croaked.

"Mr. Paramedic there stepped on the breaks too hard" Izzie replied. "There are people here you know, slow down!" she yelled loudly.

"Sorry!" Matthew said apologetically. "I've been cut by a damn motorcycle but we'll be there in 10 minutes" he explained.

April placed her hand on her forehead and winced when she felt that it's wet; she hefted herself up and tried her best to move back towards her seat.

"Oh shit, you're bleeding!" Izzie said. She hastily grabbed a gauze pad from the first aid kit and handed it to April; "Here use this, looks like you'll need some stitches" she said while eyeing April's forehead.

April accepted it; "I know" she groaned as she started wiping it. She cursed loudly when she felt her phone vibrating inside her pocket; "Iz, can you get my phone from my pocket and answer it? It's Jackson, my hand is kinda bloody now" she said.

Izzie leaned forward and shoved her hand inside the jacket; she hit on the answer button and shifted to his ear. "Avery? We're almost there, be ready in 10"

"Who's this?" Jackson asked.

"It's Izzie Stevens-I'm at the scene, we don't have time for this, just be ready!" Izzie said before hitting on the end button.

Jackson pulled the phone away from his ear and cocked his head to the side; "Izzie Stevens? That name sounds familiar" he said to himself. He was jostled out of his stupor when he heard the door open; he resumed what he's doing, giving them a quick rundown of what he's able to sneak in. "I just snagged a monitor, a ventilator and central line kits" he said.

"I have saline, infusion pumps, a crash cart and Cristina" Meredith said as she dumps the supply on the bed.

"I'm sorry, they overpowered me" Cristina said lazily.

Jackson glared at Meredith; "The fewer people who know about this, the better guys" he said.

Cristina waved her hand dismissively; "I brought lackeys"

"No. I don't need interns" Jackson replied.

Cristina turned towards the interns; "No, this room has three internal exits, we'll have a look out on each one" she explained. She then pointed towards the exits one by one; "Happy and Ponytail you man the doors and Mousey, you be the nurse-we need gloves" she said.

"On it" Shane replied before walking away to fetch what they need.

"Why do I have to be the nurse?" Heather asked.

"We are gonna need lights, we can't work on the kid in the dark" Meredith said.

"No, if I turn on more overheads you can see it from the hallway" Jackson explained.

Meredith pointed towards the stand lights; "We can use those"

He was about to respond but was cut off when his phone started ringing; he plucked the device from his pocket and answered it. "Stevens? Where's April? Okay" he said before clicking the phone shut.

"Stevens? Who is Stevens? Where is April? Is she alright?" Meredith asked, concern etched on her face.

"They're pulling up now, let's go" Jackson announced.

Cristina jogged towards Meredith; "Did he just say Stevens?" she asked.

Meredith frowned; "He did, where the hell is April?" she asked as she made her way towards the E.R. doors.

Heather was the first to reach the doors, hitting the automatic glass panel hard when it didn't open. She quickly picked herself up and turned towards the Attending's. "I'm fine"

Cristina pointed towards the door; "That's why we need interns" she said.

Meredith chuckled.

Jackson fell into step with his colleagues; "The door won't open?" he asked. He then hastily walked towards the door and tried prying it with his hands.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April jumped off the rig and felt her vision blur for a moment; she grasped the door tightly and righted herself.

"Oh god, I didn't know you hit your head, I'm sorry!" Matthew said with wide eyes.

April let out a faint smile; "I'm alright Matthew, let's just get this patient in" she said.

Izzie hopped out next; "Move people, this kid doesn't have long" she barked.

April secured the IV lines on the bed and stepped right in front of the gurney; guiding them towards the pit.

Nicole sidled up next to her colleague; "I can't believe you injured the doctor who helped us!" she hissed.

"It wasn't my fault that the stupid motorcycle appeared out of nowhere!" Matthew replied.

Nicole shook her head; "Good luck on explaining that to her Chief"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I need help here" Jackson said through gritted teeth.

Meredith and Cristina quickly moved towards the door and began helping Jackson; Cristina turned her head towards the interns. "A little help here?"

The interns all leaped into action and began tugging the door open.

April rounded the corner and hastily made her way towards the E.R. door; she let out sigh of relief upon seeing Jackson's face on the other side. "Jackson!" she breathed out.

"April what's going on?" Matthew called out when he saw the closed doors.

"I don't know" April replied. She then began pounding on the door frantically; "Jackson?"

"Pull! It's starting to give" Shane grunted.

"April?" Izzie said with wide eyes.

"More!" Cristina said while pulling harder.

"Go sit down Mer" Alex said, appearing out of the blue.

"Oh come on! Just because my uterus is occupied-"

"Go sit down, I'm not kidding. Give me your spot" Alex said sternly.

"What?" Jackson asked upon seeing Alex.

Alex shifted towards the door and began tugging it; "Don't worry, I ditched those imbeciles, Edwards is handling them"

"How did you know?" Jackson asked through gritted teeth.

"I paged him. You've got an incoming kid you're gonna need kid sized equipments" Jo explained.

"I brought a Ped's cart with a bunch of crap. Alright, are we doing this?" Alex asked.

"Alright guys on my count, one, two three!" Jackson said before pulling on the door with all the strength he can muster.

April felt relief flood her chest when the door gave in and opened; she yanked the gurney in and turned her eyes towards Jackson. "We need to do rapid sequence intubation stat!" she barked out.

Meredith's eyes widen upon seeing a familiar figure lagging behind them; "Izzie?" she asked in shock.

Izzie let out a small smile; "Long time no see Mer" she said.

"Oh crap!" Cristina muttered upon seeing Alex standing rooted on the ground. "Alex! There's no time now, MOVE!" she snapped.

Alex shook his head and began working on the patient.

Jackson turned his head sideways and stared at April's face; he narrowed his eyes upon seeing a huge cut on her forehead. "What the hell happened? Why do you have a cut on your forehead?"

April snipped the bandage, not taking her eyes of her patient; "I'm fine Jackson, this is nothing" she replied.

"But your cut is bleeding!" Jackson said sternly.

April tore her eyes away from the patient; "I'm what?"

Cristina lifted her eyes and stared at April; "You're head is bleeding Kepner, have that bandaged before you help us here" she said. She then turned her gaze towards Meredith's direction; "We need you here Mer and Izzie can you help April with her cut?"

"No, I'll help her" Jackson said.

"But the pat-"

"No buts, now step back and let me bandage that up" Jackson said.

April sighed and obediently took a step back; "Fine. Izzie can you take my place for a while?"

"I-I don't think-"

"Get your ass here Izzie and just help us already!" Alex snapped.

Meredith bit her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling; "Come on Iz, like the good old days" she said.

Izzie smiled at Meredith before joining the team who's working on the patient.

Jackson pulled April to the side and sat her down on one of the gurney's that's not yet been moved; "Sit down, I'll just get some disinfectant and bandages" he said.

April pursed her lips; "I'm really okay Jackson"

Jackson just narrowed his eyes at her and began rummaging for supplies; once he's satisfied with what he has, he walked back towards April and placed the supply beside the red head. "What the hell happened? How did you bust your head open? Tilt your head"

April titled her head up; "A motorcycle cut us so Matthew had to step on the breaks, I was securing the IV lines on the patient so I wasn't able to catch my bearing, I was jostled towards the door"

Jackson shifted the hair off of April's forehead and began examining the cut it with a frown; "You were thrown towards the door, does anything else hurts?"

"I'm really fine, can you just bandage me up?"

Jackson ignored April's protests;"This need stitches but unfortunately we don't have any time, I'll bandage it for now but I'll fix it later" he said.

"It's okay Jackson-really, I can handle it-"

"Can you stop being stubborn for a minute and just listen to me? Please?" Jackson half whispered.

April lifted her gaze and met Jackson's eyes; she stared into it for a moment and understood the look he's throwing her. He was worried, he's still is and based on the way he's looking at her, he's not planning on backing down anytime soon. She cracked a small smile and nodded; "Fine, you can take a look at it later"

Jackson smiled back; "Finally!" he said while cleaning the cut as fast as he can.

"If you're quite done there lovebirds, can you help us move this patient now? We need to take this kid to the O.R." Alex said, with a hint of teasing in his tone.

April felt her cheeks flush so she hastily hopped off the gurney; "O—of course"

Jackson shook his head as he gathers the supplies he used.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"So Dr. Avery is taking a powernap?"

"He likes to take a nap before a surgery" Stephanie replied.

"And Dr. Karev had a dentist appointment?"

"Even doctors have to go to the doctor. Meanwhile, have you seen the skin lab? Dr. Avery and Dr. Sloan grows actual skin, that'll be cool to see, don't you think?" Stephanie said with a large smile.

"Lead the way"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Don't smoke, that's the big advice?" Callie huffed, clearly indignant.

"He examined me and found nothing wrong which in fact is the case" Richard replied.

"He was an idiot! He keeps checking his watch it's as if his time is more precious than his patient's life!"

"Point taken" Richard said thoughtfully.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"We have to move him people, everything is set?" April asked.

"Yeah, we're able to stabilize him for now" Jackson replied. He then shifted his gaze towards Shane; "Were you able to book an O.R?" he asked.

"Yes sir, everything is prepped" Shane replied.

"Good" Jackson said.

Alex took a peek on his watch and cursed; "Avery we have our gender re-assignment surgery in 10 minutes" he said.

"Shit!" Jackson cussed.

"Meredith and I can scrub in with Kepner, you two go ahead" Cristina said.

"You got this?" Jackson asked.

Meredith rolled her eyes; "We have Trauma, General and Cardio inside the O.R. Jackson I'm quite sure we got this" she replied.

Jackson chuckled; "Fine, no need to bite my head off Grey."

Alex gestured towards the door; "We have to go but page us if you need us, okay?" he said.

"Thanks Alex" April said with a grateful smile.

Alex smiled back; "You are badass surgeon Kepner, keep it up" he said. He then spun on his heels and began walking towards door, not even sparing a glance at his ex wife.

Meredith sighed and turned towards Izzie; "Can you hang out for a couple of hours? I'd like to catch up with you without a patient between us" she said.

Izzie smiled and nodded; "Sure-I'll just go freshen up a bit" she replied.

"Be prepared Izzie, it's an inquisition" Cristina joked.

Izzie chuckled; "I know" she replied.

"Dr. Kepner? The coast is clear we can go now" Shane said.

April threw Matthew and Nicole a look; "Thank you guys, you are awesome today, I'll keep you posted after the surgery" she said.

"No Dr. Kepner, thank you" Nicole replied with a shy smile.

"Yeah-again-sorry for the cut" Matthew said apologetically.

"It's just a cut it won't kill me" April replied, assuring her friend.

"Unless you have a concussion" Cristina pointed out.

April rolled her eyes; "I don't have a concussion Cristina, now let's move" she said.

Cristina snickered.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Stephanie shifted in her feet; "A—and after the anesthesia is administered, Brian will be ready for surgery."

"And when exactly are we gonna see doctor's Avery and Karev again?"

Stephanie licked her lips nervously; "Err-"

"Edwards, nice work" Jackson said as he saunters inside the O.R with Alex in tow.

Stephanie let out a sigh of relief; "No problem"

"We're ready to scrub in" Alex said. He then turned towards his intern; "Wilson, could you show our friends up the gallery? You guys can watch up there."

Jo gestured towards the door; "Come on, I'll take you there"

Stephanie stepped towards Jackson and cleared her throat; "Dr. Avery?"

"Yes?"

"You have a little bit of blood on your left shoulder"

Jackson spun on his heels and hastily made his way towards the scrub room.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"We are streamlining the process so we will significantly decrease the hospital's hernia complication rate and become a destination Medical Center" Alana explained.

"How many patients will this place accommodate at a time?"

"Upwards 30, once everything is finished" Alana replied. She then took a step forward but paused when she stepped on something sticky; she shifted her eyes to the floor and saw a speck of fresh blood staining the floor. She forced out a smile and turned towards Derek; "Shepherd, can you take over? I need to do something" she said.

Derek's eyes widen; "Oh-okay, right" he said.

Alana stormed towards the door and yanked it open.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I hope you get it, the Brand Ambassador thing. I don't want to be the face of any hospital where I have to sneak around and risk my job just to do the right thing" Jackson said.

Alex scoffed; "Screw that, I hope you get it" he said. He then paused and his eyes crinkled to the side, a sign that his smirking behind his mask; "I always knew you'd do anything for Kepner-even losing your job for her" he teased.

Jackson also paused and met Alex's gaze; "She's my best friend, I'll do anything for her" he replied seriously.

Alex shook his head before shifting his gaze back on his work; "Best friend my ass" he muttered.

Jackson cleared his throat; "Tell me if I'm mistaken or not but Izzie is your ex wife, right?" he asked cautiously.

Alex sighed; "Yeah"

"Oh" Jackson replied. He then opted to keep quiet and focus his attention on his work.

"Who are you operating on Dr. Avery?" Alana asked as she enters the O.R, Owen in tow.

"My transgender patient, why?" Jackson replied.

Alana spun on her heels and exited the room with a huff.

Owen waited for the door to close before lowering his mask; "You guys are making my job difficult" he said. He then crack a smile; "Were you at least able to save the kid?"

Jackson turned around; "We did,"

"Good" Owen then gestured towards the door. "I gotta check on her"

"Okay" Jackson replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"This part of the lung is fried, I'm gonna have to do a resection" Cristina said.

"The spleen is out" Meredith announced.

"Let's irrigate with antibiotic solution" April said.

"Does somebody want to tell me where the hell this patient came from?" Alana asked as she enters the room.

April threw Cristina and Meredith a look before shifting her eyes to Alana.

"Whose patient is this?" Owen asked as he steps in.

Meredith, Cristina and April kept silent.

"Fine, you don't have to tell, we can just look it up" Alana said as she shifted towards the tray that holds the electronic tab. "All I need is the patient's name"

April squared her shoulders; "No, wait-"

Meredith noticed April's reaction so she decided to butt in; "I can do it. I'll look it up. It's my patient, you got this?" she asked, eyeing April intently.

"Yeah-go" Cristina replied.

"Appreciate your cooperation, thank you Dr. Grey" Owen replied.

Meredith stepped away from the table and took her gloves off; "Sure, no problem. I'm happy to" she said before stepping towards the tray. She grabbed the tab and began tapping on it; "Oh no"

"What?" Alana asked.

Meredith huffed in annoyance; "This keeps happening to me! I try to go into the patients file and this damn thing keeps on deleting it!"

Owen threw Meredith an impressed look before shifting his gaze back to Alana's back.

Alana stared into Meredith's eyes but Meredith didn't back down, she met it straight on.

* * *

"_**You were nonchalant, strong, and unaffected and you never wanted me to be there. I never saw your heart, that's how close you kept it, so right now I'm so unsure how to care..." **_

* * *

"What did you do?" Mark said as soon as he saw his prot step out of the O.R.

Jackson raised his brow; "Err-transgender patient?"

Mark narrowed his eyes as he shifted closer to Jackson; "You know what I'm talking about so quit the act" he hissed.

The door to O.R. opened and Alex stepped out next; he took a step back upon seeing Mark glaring at Jackson. "What's going on?"

Mark turned towards Alex and beckoned him forward; "Come here Karev"

Alex raised his brow but followed Mark's instruction none the less; "What?"

"What did you guys do?" Mark asked.

Jackson gritted his teeth; "Fine. We sneaked in April's patient and saved the kid's life. They were rerouted to Redmond and the kid was barely hanging on. If we didn't take them in the kid would've died" he explained lowly.

Mark stared at Jackson for a moment before shifting his eyes to Alex; "How's the kid?" he asked.

"We're not yet sure, Mer, Cristina and April took him to the O.R the same time we operated on Brian" Alex explained.

Mark nodded; "Good" he replied.

Jackson scrunched his face, clearly confused with Mark's reaction.

Mark turned towards Jackson; "What's with the face?"

"Err—you look like you were about to strangle me awhile ago" Jackson said.

Mark shrugged his shoulders; "Well you did forget to include me, we're the Plastic Posses were suppose to do this together"

Alex shook his head; "Here we go with the _bromance_ again"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Look guys, you don't have to do this. I brought the patient in so I should take the fall on this" April said while she walks side by side Meredith and Cristina, trying her hardest to convince her friends.

"Nobody's gonna take the fall because we're all in this together" Cristina said.

"But-"

"No buts April, you did the right thing. You save a kid's life-you made the right call and we're all standing with you in this" Meredith said with finality.

April felt warmth in her chest upon hearing her friend's words; "T-thank you" she said.

Cristina stopped in her tracks; "Happy, Ponytail and Mousey, what are you all doing here?" she asked.

"Chief Hunt paged us, looks like we'll be interrogated one by one" Jo said.

April threw Meredith and Cristina a look; "I'll talk to Chief Hunt, I'll take care of this" she said before walking towards the conference room.

"Apes wait!" Cristina said.

"April!" Meredith yelled.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson's pager went off, so as Alex; they threw each other a look before reading the message at the same time.

"Something wrong with your transgender patient?" Mark asked.

Jackson turned his gaze towards Mark; "Hunt is paging us to Admin" he said.

Alex scowled; "I'm sure it's the she devil"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Kepner can't lie to save her life, she'll be screwed over this" Cristina said as she paced back and forth.

"I know! She stormed out on us! Cahill is probably grilling her now" Meredith said.

"What happened?" Jackson asked as he saw his friend's outside the conference room.

"Cahill figured it out?" Alex asked.

"They're taking us in one at a time to see who'll break first" Heather explained.

"I can't lie, I'm no good at it, they'll see right through me" Shane said nervously.

"Stay strong Dopey, you can do it" Cristina said.

Meredith began rubbing her temples; "They're suppose to start with the interns but April decided to be the hero and now she's in there, being grilled by Cahill."

"Kepner can't lie to save her life" Alex huffed before making a bee line towards the conference room.

"I'm just trying to find out what really happened?" Owen said softly.

Alex barged into the room, startling April in the process, making her see spots.

"You want to know what happened? I'll tell you what happened, A kid was dying and we kept him alive" Alex explained.

"Dr. Karev, hello. You mentioned the word we, who else is involved?" Alana asked.

"No one else is involved, it was my call" April interjected.

"I was" Jackson said as he entered the room. "This was my call, I took the kid in, I decided to treat him"

April opened her mouth to speak but Alex threw her a silencing look; "We saved his life"

Jackson crossed his arms on top of his chest; "And that's what matters, not these idiotic new policies or some stupid Ad campaigns"

"You can punish us however you want, we don't care because-"

"That's enough" Owen interrupted. He then shifted his eyes towards April and noticed her pale form; "Just go and take Kepner with you. Make sure someone checks on her, she looks pale"

"Well that's it? You're not gonna discipline them or something?" Alana asked indignantly.

April threw Owen an apologetic look before pushing away from the table; she shot up from her chair and saw spots dancing before her eyes again, making her stagger a bit.

Alex being the closest automatically grasped April's arm; "You okay?" he asked with concern.

April stood straighter and smiled at Alex faintly; "Yeah" she replied.

Owen ignored Alana; "Go" he gestured towards the door.

Alex tugged on April's arm; "Come on" he whispered.

April nodded and let Alex guide her.

Jackson sidled up April's other side and leaned forward; "Are you okay?"

"Yeah—just a little dizzy" April admitted.

"You should have Shepherd check your head Apes, you might have a concussion from the impact of the hit" Alex said.

April waved her hand dismissively; "This is probably nothing, I'm just tired"

Jackson closed the conference room behind them; "Let's have a look at the head," he said.

"No-"

"You gave me your word April, stop fighting me on this and just be a good girl and let the doctor work" Jackson said.

April sighed; "Fine."

Alex sniggered; "You guys sound like an old couple"

April rolled her eyes.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"This is a problem Owen and you know it. My presence seems to ignite an uprising which makes it a little tough for me to do my job. I understand that they're upset about the E.R closing and they wanted to save the kid's life but do you know how much this stunt would've cost this place if that kid had died on our watch? Pegasus would've backed out and without them, you're done. I'm trying to help you but I can't do it the people here keep on undermining me and goes around my back without being penalized for it. You people need to think about it because if you let them do this, you won't even have a hospital to work for" Alana said before storming out of the room.

Owen leaned back on his chair and began rubbing his temples.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"What happened to you? Why wasn't I informed about this?" Lexie asked as she made a bee line towards her friend.

April shifted her perch on top of the exam table; "I'm alright Lexie, no biggie"

Lexie began fawning over April's face; "Did you ask Derek to check your head?"

"I didn't have to but the people here are fairly convinced that there's something wrong with my head" April replied accompanied by an eye roll.

Lexie chuckled as she let her hands fall to her side; she then began looking around the room. "Why are you sitting here alon-"

The door to the exam room opened admitting Derek with Mark and Jackson in tow; the Neuoro Surgeon stood right in front of April and placed his hands on his hips. "I didn't see anything wrong with the scan, which is a good thing however how on earth were you able operate after that kind of impact?"

April cringed; "Adrenaline rush?"

Mark whistled; "You're one hell of a Trauma Surgeon Kepner, LITERALLY"

Lexie can't help but chuckle with her fiancé's antics.

Derek shook his head; "Well-I suggest you go home after you get your cut stitched, you need to rest, you're not on call tonight" he said.

April smiled at Derek sheepishly; "Yes Doc"

Derek smiled; "I'll leave you to the Plastic Posses then, you have a good night" he said before walking towards the door. "Rest Kepner, I don't want to see you skulking around the corners when I do my rounds"

"You won't" April replied.

Jackson shifted closer to the supplies to start gathering the stuff he need but his phone started ringing loudly; he hastily pulled it off his pocket and cursed upon seeing the name on the screen.

Mark turned towards Jackson; "Who's calling?" he asked.

Jackson winced; "Sadie, I forgot we're suppose to do the doubles tonight"

April felt the familiar pinch inside her chest but she mashed it down; she cleared the lump in her throat and shifted her eyes towards the people standing inside the room. "You guys should go-I can have Edwards stitch me up" she said with a smile.

Lexie turned towards her friend and furrowed her brows; "Edwards will not stitch you up, I will" she said.

"I'll just call Sadie and cancel" Jackson said as he stuffs his phone back inside his pocket.

April shook her head adamantly; "I can't let you do that Jackson, you've already helped me enough today. Go, have fun, you deserve it" she said. She then shifted her eyes between Mark and Lexie; "You two should go too, I'm sure Steph can help me with this" she insisted.

Lexie turned towards her fiancé and narrowed her gaze, letting her unvoiced words seep through the stare.

Mark understood Lexie's look so he cleared his throat, he turned towards his prot; "I'll take care of Kepner, you go on ahead" he said.

"You don't have to do that Dr. Sloan, like I said I can have someone stitch this, it's just a little cut" April protested.

Mark placed his hands on his hips; "I'm appalled April, you have the country's best Plastic Surgeon inside the room with you and you prefer an intern over me?"

"That's not-"

"I'll stitch you up, no more arguing" Mark said with finality. He then turned towards Jackson; "What are you still doing here? Go!"

Jackson stared at April; "Can you drive? You can just sleep here" he said.

"I can drive Jackson, stop fawning over me like a mother hen and just go" April said with a faint smile.

"Are you sure?"

"For the love of-we'll take her home, just go already!" Lexie snapped.

Jackson narrowed her eyes at Lexie; "I'm just concerned! No need to snap at me"

Lexie met Jackson's gaze directly; "I know you are but your _girlfriend_ is waiting for you. So why don't you be a good _boyfriend_ and leave now?"

Jackson stared at Lexie's eyes for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh; "Fine" he said. He then turned towards April smiled; "I'll see you tomorrow and call me if you need me, okay?"

"Okay" April replied.

Jackson stared at April for another minute before turning on his heels, exiting the room.

"I thought he'd never leave" Lexie huffed. She then turned towards Mark and gestured towards April's face; "Stitch away Country's best Plastic Surgeon" she said with a smile.

Mark laughed before shifting towards the supplies.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Thank god you're still here!" Meredith said upon seeing Izzie sitting at the bench outside the hospital.

"I told you I'll wait" Izzie replied with a smile.

Izzie stood up from her perch and engulfed Meredith into a tight hug; "I missed you Mer" she whispered. "And I can feel a bump, how far long are you?"

Meredith laughed as she pulls away; "6 months" she replied.

Izzie helped Meredith sit down on the bench; "So how have you been?"

"We've been fine, you how are you? I was not expecting to see you this afternoon, you surprised all of us" Meredith said.

Izzie chuckled; "I was only giving first aid to a hit and run kid and waiting for the paramedics to arrive. I was not expecting April to hop off of the ambulance"

Meredith smiled; "She did a ride along today"

"How is she by the way? She hit her head quite hard" Izzie said with a wince.

"I asked Derek to check on her and I'm quite sure that Jackson will be stitching her up" Meredith replied.

Izzie nodded; "I see, I hope it's nothing serious" she replied. She then paused; "Where's Cristina by the way?"

Meredith began rubbing her stomach; "She's been pulled into an emergency surgery and she was not happy about it-she's actually looking forward to this" she said with a chuckle.

Izzie laughed; "Lucky me"

"So-are you here just to visit a friend or are you here for good?" Meredith asked.

"I'm still not sure" Izzie replied.

Meredith cocked her to the side; "What does that mean?"

Izzie took a deep breath; "Seattle Pres offered me a Fellowship and I'm still not sure if I'm gonna take it" she admitted.

Meredith's eyes widen; "That's good news Iz! You should take it"

Izzie sighed dejectedly; "I want too because I miss you all terribly but I don't think Alex will want me to be on the same state as him"

Meredith reached for her friend's hand and gave it a soft squeeze; "Alex will come around Iz, it's been 3 years."

"I hope so-"

Meredith stared at Izzie for a moment; "You're still in love with him" she concluded.

Izzie averted her gaze instantly; "That's no longer important Mer..."

"If you're still in love with him then why didn't you stay and fight for him?"

Izzie closed her eyes; "I wanted too to start over but Alex-he told me that he's better off without me, I only gave him what he wants" she said. She then took a deep breath squared her shoulders; "You see, that's the reason why I'm thinking twice about this job-I don't want to cause trouble again"

Meredith squeezed Izzie's hand comfortingly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You seem distracted, everything okay?" Sadie asked.

Jackson took a sip of his wine and smiled half heartedly; "Just tired" he replied.

"Oh I see" Sadie said. She then began pushing her food around her plate; "I thought Mark and Lexie will join us, where are they?"

Jackson cleared his throat; "Mark had to work on April so Lexie decided to stay behind as well"

Sadie paused, her eyes widening; "April? She's your best friend right? What happened? Is she alright?"

Jackson took a sip of his wine again; "Yeah she is. She had a little accident in the field this afternoon and needed stitching-that's also the reason why I was late, I was supposed to do the stitching"

"You should've told me Jackson, we could've cancelled this" Sadie said, guilt written all over her face.

Jackson can't help but smile; "It's alright Sadie, I'm sure April understands,"

Sadie's shoulders sagged; "I feel bad"

"Don't be" Jackson replied. He then gestured towards the food; "You should eat your food before it gets cold" he said.

Sadie stared at Jackson for a moment before nodding; "You're right"

Jackson picked up his cutlery and gripped it tightly; "_She_ _wanted you to come to this date, she will be alright-Mark and Lexie is taking care of her, focus_!" he thought.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Is this your apartment Kepner?" Mark asked as he pulled over.

"Yes, this is. I can't thank you enough for doing this, you shouldn't have to, I'm okay" April said shyly.

Lexie turned from her seat and faced April; "Stop thanking us Apes, we wanted to do this and you can't drive yet, you're still seeing spots" she said.

April unbuckled her seat belt and smiled at her friend; "I'm not seeing spots anymore I promise" she said with a chuckle. She then shifted closer to the door and pushed it open; "I better get to bed, my head is killing me a bit"

"Take some Tylenol, that should do the trick" Mark said with a smile.

"I will" April replied. She then climbed out of the car and closed the door behind her; she leaned forward and waved at the couple. "Thank you again for doing this guys, I owe you one. You both have a good night and drive safely" she said.

"Go in, we'll wait for you to be safely tucked inside before we leave" Lexie said.

April nodded; "See you tomorrow!" she said before walking away.

Mark began thrumming his hands on the steering wheel, waiting for the red head to enter her building; once he heard the door closing, he shifted his eyes to his fiancé. "Did you know that Jackson almost risked his job for Kepner today?"

Lexie pursed her lips; "Yeah, I heard" she replied.

Mark tugged on the hand break and navigated the car out of the driveway; "And he was practically foaming in the mouth with worry when April showed up with a cut on her forehead? I think he's still hung up on her"

"You think?" Lexie said sarcastically.

Mark frowned; "Why do you seem pissed?"

Lexie crossed her arms on top of her chest; "I'm pissed because he's hurting April more with his confusing actions! He's starting to give mixed signals again and its annoying the hell out of me. He already made a choice, he's already with Sadie, thanks to you by the way, but doing things like this? Come on! It's already bad enough that April is still in love with him and-"

"Whoa! Kepner's in love with him? Who told you that?"

Lexie mentally cursed herself with her blunder.

"Lexie" Mark said sternly.

Lexie turned in her seat to face her fiancé; "Promise me you won't tell Jackson any of this and I'll tell you" she said seriously.

"I promise, now tell me-everything you know" Mark replied.

Lexie took a deep breath before spilling out the beans, all of it.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April locked her apartment door and tiredly made her way towards her room; she slumped on her bed almost instantly and closed her eyes. "You're one hell of an actor Kepner, one hell of an actor" she muttered to herself dejectedly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson pulled over on his designated parking lot and switched off the engine; instead of climbing out of his car, he leaned back on his seat and took a deep breath. He just declined Sadie's invitation to go up to her apartment and opted to go home; the dinner went good, considering the fact that he's been so stressed today. His girlfriend had been very understanding and even genuinely concerned with what happened. He sighed and closed his eyes tightly, April-she's been running in his mind all throughout dinner and it's driving him nuts-even the sight of Sadie wasn't able to take his mind out of a certain red head surgeon with a big cut on her forehead. Truth be told, he didn't want to leave her; he wanted to be the one to tend to her-to take care of her but the look that Lexie gave him somehow convinced him to scram the hell out. He let out another sigh and opened his eyes; he unlocked his door and climbed out of his car. "You have a girlfriend now and you're not a cheater, stop thinking about another woman on your date, shake it off, just be a good boyfriend to Sadie, she deserves that."

* * *

"_**No attention was given, no affection from you to heal the hurt. I was hoping, I was wishing-just to listen and to hear those words..." **_

* * *

"You're here" Alex said as April enters the room.

April threw Alex a smile as she closes the door behind her; "I don't recall if I already said thank you for yesterday but if I didn't...thank you Alex" she said sincerely.

Alex waved his hands dismissively; "Don't mention it-ever" he replied.

April can't help but chuckle at her friend's reaction; she made her way towards her locker and pulled it open.

"Your head alright? No concussion?" Alex asked.

April took of her jacket and folded it neatly; "Nope" she replied before stuffing it insider her cubby.

Alex leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs; "How did your head get busted anyway?"

April tugged on her scrubs pants up before turning her gaze towards Alex; "A motorcycle cut us so Matthew stepped on the breaks, I was securing the patient's IV lines that time so I wasn't able to latch on to something" she replied.

Alex cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with what he's about to ask next; "You were with Izzie, why didn't she patch you up? I'm quite sure they have supplies inside the rig."

"We didn't have time, we were 10 minutes away from the hospital and the patient is almost close to coding so we're both in full panic" April replied.

"I see" Alex replied before averting his gaze.

April grabbed her lab coat from her locker and snapped it close; she walked towards Alex and plopped down beside him.

Alex turned his head to the side; "Aren't you suppose to do rounds or something?"

"I still have 10 minutes before my shift starts" April replied. She then shifted herself to face the Ped's Fellow; "Have you talked with Izzie?" she asked cautiously.

Alex scrunched his face in distaste; "Why would I do that?"

April cocked her head to the side; "She's your ex wife"

"Ex being the operative word"

April tried a different approach; "We were able to chat a little bit last night when Lexie and I caught her talking with Mer..."

Alex glared; "You're telling me this because?"

April averted her gaze; "Well-it looks like she's been offered a position at Seattle Pres but she's thinking twice about jumping on their ship because she's considering you..."

Alex thought for a moment; "She's still thinking about that?" he asked with a sigh.

April shifted her gaze back to Alex and noticed the look on her friend's face; "She is...she doesn't want to cause you anymore trouble."

Alex sighed again; he then pursed his lips and met April's eyes. "I'm gonna kill you if you tell anyone I asked you this, do you understand me?" he asked seriously.

April was taken aback by Alex's words but nodded none the less.

Alex narrowed his eyes as he studies his friend's face; when he saw sincerity and concern, he knew he was asking the right person. "Do you think I should talk to her?"

"Yes" April replied without a hint of hesitation.

"Why?"

"Are you sure you want to hear what I really think?" April asked cautiously.

Alex rolled his eyes; "I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't want to hear what you think, I need female perspective here and god knows Mer and Cristina will just give me shit if I ask them"

April sat straighter; "Before I answer your question can you answer mine first? Because whatever I'll say will depend on your answer, can you do that?" she asked seriously.

Alex grimaced; "I don't like this one bit Kepner, we're treading dangerous grounds here-it's getting too personal"

April rolled her eyes; "We're way passed that stupid grounds the moment you caught me sneaking out of our apartment a couple of months ago."

Alex mulled April's words before nodding; "Point taken, shoot"

"Do you still feel anything for her?" April asked bluntly.

"How is that even relevant to what I'm asking?" Alex asked indignantly.

"It's a simple question Alex, yes or no. Answer it already, we don't have much time!"

Alex averted his gaze and crossed his arms on top of his chest defiantly.

April stared at the man sitting beside her before shaking her head; she thumped her thighs with both hands and stood up from her perch.

Alex's head snapped to the side, a scowl evident on his face; "Where are you going?"

April shrugged her shoulders; "You didn't answer my question so I don't have any perspective to give you" she said before shifting away from the couch. "I'll be frolicking around the whole day, find me if you are ready to answer my question and I'll give you mine"

"Get back here! You can't just leave me hanging!" Alex yelled in frustration.

April ignored his rants and pulled the door open; she stepped between the gaps and waved at Alex before stepping out.

"KEPNER!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Not a single word Mark, I'm warning you" Lexie said seriously.

Mark grimaced; "I still can't believe I didn't know any of this! If I knew how she feels I wouldn't have pushed my boy to date someone else"

Lexie pinched her fiancé's arm; "I told you but you just kept pushing!" she said irritably.

Mark yelped as he pulled his stinging arm away; "No need to harm me woman" he said while rubbing it. "And correction, you didn't tell me _anything _you just kept on giving me dirty looks and third degrees. How was I supposed to know what you mean? You're hanging too much with April, she's rubbing off on you, next thing I know, you're throwing me metaphors."

"There's nothing wrong with her metaphors!" Lexie said.

Mark stopped right in front of the elevator and punched on the button; he then turned towards his fiancé and raised his brow.

"Fine. I'm also not a fan of her metaphoric ramblings" Lexie conceded. She then narrowed her eyes; "But that's not the point here! You still pushed him to another woman and now my friend is heartbroken even before she had the chance to say it."

Mark guided Lexie inside the elevator and hit on the right floor; "Is she planning on telling him then?" he asked.

Lexie crossed her arms on top of her chest; "I might be able to convince her too" she replied. She then threw Mark a withering look; "But I can't do that now, can I? Thanks to you"

Mark winced; "You can still encourage her you know-he's just dating Sadie and I think she has a big chance of swaying him towards her."

"How do you know that? Did he tell you something?" Lexie asked.

Mark stood straighter; "He didn't say anything directly but his actions last night are enough, don't you think?"

"That's his best friend instinct kicking in" Lexie huffed.

"But I still think-"

"Just don't say anything for now, please? I'm already in deep shit because I told you, April will murder me with her scalpel if she finds out" Lexie interjected, cutting Mark off.

Mark opened his mouth to respond but the door chimed open.

Lexie let out an annoyed groan when she saw Jackson walking towards them; she leaned towards Mark and grabbed his hand tightly. "Not a damn word or you won't be able to sleep with me for a month" she sing songed.

Mark's eyes widen in shock.

Lexie smiled triumphantly and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek; "See you later" she said before bolting towards the other direction, avoiding Jackson in the process.

Jackson stopped right in front of his mentor and cocked his head to the side; "Are you alright?" he asked.

Mark blinked a couple of times before turning towards his prot; "Err-yeah. I think" he said dazedly.

Jackson raised his brow.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I've been thinking" Meredith said as she walks between her husband and person.

"Thinking about what?" Cristina asked.

"I spoke with Richard briefly last night and he mentioned something about _Pegasus_" Meredith said.

"What did he say?" Derek asked.

"They went to Portland General yesterday-Richard and Callie, they saw how they operate and it wasn't pretty" Meredith replied, a pensive look taking over her features.

Cristina snickered; "Arizona and I checked their website last night and its pretty-that is if you're _very _fond of mythical horses galloping every 5 seconds" she said with sarcasm.

"Were you at least able to find any viable information about them?" Derek asked.

Cristina shook her head; "Nope but if you want to see the face of their hospital they have a huge picture of him there"

Derek wrinkled his nose in disgust; "They're really serious about that?" he asked as he punched on the elevator button.

Meredith stopped and shifted her eyes between her two companions; "I think we should buy this hospital" she blurted out.

Cristina's eyes widen, clearly in shock.

Derek turned to face his wife; "It's your pregnancy hormones speaking, I'm sure you don't mean that" he said.

Meredith narrowed her eyes at her husband; "It's not my pregnancy hormones speaking, I'm serious" she snapped.

"You are aware that we don't have the slightest idea on how to run a hospital, right?" Cristina asked.

Meredith crossed her arms on top of her chest defiantly; "We're doctors, we're smart, if there's anyone suitable to run a hospital it's people like us."

Derek turned towards the elevator doors, deep in thought.

"We are smart and we are suitable to run it-the question is can we _afford _it?" Cristina said contemplatively.

The elevator doors opened, revealing a huge portrait of Derek smiling at them.

"We should all sit down and talk about it, I'll call my Financial Advisor as soon as I finish my rounds" Derek said with scowl.

Meredith chuckled as she steps in the elevator; "What a great day to save lives!" she sing songed.

Cristina burst out laughing.

"Shut it!" Derek said through gritted teeth.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April walked towards the nurses' station and leaned forward; "Please make sure to monitor Mr. Kent's vitals and page me if you see any irregularities" she said politely.

"Yes Doc,"

April smiled; "Thanks Carrie, you're super" she said.

The nurse chuckled.

April was about check on her other patients when her pager went off; she plucked it from her pocket and read the message. "That's weird," she said before walking towards the elevators.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Jackson asked.

Mark tore his eyes away from his tab; "No, why?"

Jackson placed his hands on his hips; "Because you just told me to go troll for patients" he replied.

Mark placed his tab on top of the counter and crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Cahill is on a roll after your stunt last night. If she happens to see you sitting here like you've got nothing better to do then that can send her to a tailspin and start evaluating the _efficiency _of _our_ department."

Jackson grimaced; "You're still pissed about that?"

Mark rolled his eyes; "I'm not and I'm quite proud that you stuck your ass to save that kid's life."

Jackson studied Mark's face for a moment; "Okay..." he replied.

Mark let out a small smile; "Now go and troll for cases. Make sure to use your Avery sparkle, that'll do the trick" he said.

Jackson rolled his eyes and spun on his heels; "Page me if you need me" he said while walking away.

"Will do" Mark replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I'm in" Lexie said without hesitation.

Meredith smiled at her sister; "I knew I could count on you" she said.

Lexie chuckled.

"Err-we're only $60 million dollars combined, I'm quite sure this hospital is worth more than that" Cristina said.

Lexie bit her bottom lip; "I can talk to Mark, I'm quite sure I can convince him" she said.

"That only bumps us up to 75" Derek replied.

"I can move some of my assets around, I think I'm good for $3 million" Richard offered.

Meredith turned towards Richard; "Are you sure about that?"

Richard smiled; "I'd rather lay all my assets on the line rather than have _Pegasus _run this place" he replied.

Meredith reached for Richard's hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

"Did you guys tell Arizona? Another $15 million can bump us to 90" Derek said pensively.

"I haven't gotten the chance to see her yet but I can look for her" Meredith replied.

Derek sat straighter; "Okay, I'll call my Financial Advisor first and we will regroup again at a later time, we need to get back to work before Cahill sees us" he said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Dr. Sloan, you paged?" April asked as she enters the scrub room.

Mark turned his face towards the door; "You busy?" he asked.

April shook her head; "No I'm not, I'm just checking on some of Derek's patients" she replied.

Mark shook off the excess water from his hands; "Want to scrub in with me? I need some extra hands here" he said.

April shifted in her feet; "Err-I don't mind but where is Jackson?"

"He's around, checking on some of his patients" Mark lied. He then gestured towards the O.R; "I know this is not your specialty but so as Neuro, I just think that it's only fair that you get to experience life changing surgeries, hacking brains gets a little old sometimes" he joked. "Don't tell Derek I said that" he added as an afterthought.

April can't help but chuckle at Mark's antics; "I won't tell on you." She then bit her bottom lip apprehensively; "Are you really sure you want me there?" she asked.

Mark let out an appeasing smile; "I wouldn't have page you if I didn't want you in there and besides this isn't a complicated surgery or something, it's just a typical Rhinoplasty so we'll just be hammering someone's nose" he said.

April raised her brow; "Will you actually let me hold the instruments?" she asked.

Mark's smile widens; "Even better, I'll let you hammer her nose. I'll meet you in there in 5, scrub fast" he said before walking towards the door.

April cracked a small; "You're on. See you in 5."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Pegasus did not back out-thank god. They will be signing the papers a day after tomorrow" Alana said with relieved smile.

Owen forced out a smile; "That's good then" he said half heartedly.

"We will have to go over the numbers tonight so please try to avoid surgery if you can help it"

Owen sighed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Avery, come here!" Callie called out, beckoning him forward.

Jackson walked towards Callie and stood right in front of her; "You need a consult? I'm free" he said with a smile.

Callie narrowed her eyes; "Don't use your sparkle on me, it ain't working, I'm immune to it" she said.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Jackson replied.

Callie rolled her eyes; "Why are prancing around? Didn't Mark tell you lay low for awhile?" she asked.

"He doesn't need to lay low, what he did-_they_ did yesterday was the right thing to do, they saved the kid's life" Arizona said. She then turned her gaze towards Jackson; "That was a right call and you don't have to feel guilty about breaking their stupid rule."

Jackson smiled widely at Arizona; "Thank you" he said sincerely.

"I'm not condemning what you guys did, I actually find it ballsy" Callie quipped. She shifted closer to Jackson and leaned forward; "Have you heard anything about this buyout?"

"Not a single idea, why do you know something?" Jackson asked.

Arizona leaned forward to; "Can you keep your mouth shut?"

Jackson threw Arizona an indignant look; "I'm not Mark, I can keep my mouth shut"

"Good, come with us" Callie said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"This is _way_ better than dealing with brains, right?" Mark asked.

April nodded in agreement; "Yeah-this is less stressful"

Mark turned towards the nurse; "Forceps" he asked. He accepted the instrument and shifted his gaze back to his work; "Plastics is not as hard core as Neuro or Trauma but we do have our own edge" he paused and stared at April. "We get to change people's lives and make them a better version of themselves-we heal their minds Kepner and that alone is hard core."

"I-I haven't thought of it that way" April admitted shyly.

Mark chuckled before moving his eyes back to the patient; "Plastics is one of those specialties that is often overlooked, hell-even my fiancé jabs at me from time to time" he said truthfully.

April giggled; "Well your fiancé is a Neuro junkie and she also happens to be the sister in law of the country's most renowned Neuro Surgeon, of course she'll take a jab at you, she pokes fun at Trauma whenever she's at the pit."

Mark laughed.

April paused and cocked her head to the side; "I just realized something, I haven't congratulated you on your engagement yet-congratulations" she said with sincerity.

Mark paused and met April's eyes; "Why thank you Kepner, I didn't realize that too" he replied.

April's eyes crinkled to the side, a sign that she's smiling behind her mask; "Lexie told me how you proposed I think it's sweet,"

Mark threw the red head an amused look before moving his eyes back to his patient; "You're the only one who think it's sweet. Lexie, Callie and Avery didn't think so, they thought it was inappropriate" he said with a chuckle.

April turned towards the nurse; "Lap pads" she said.

"Here you go doctor" The nurse replied.

April accepted it and focused on her work again; "Telling someone you love them and asking to spend forever with them is always sweet, regardless of the-err-situation"

"Exactly my point" Mark said. He then let out deep breath; "When I saw her lying there and just barely hanging on to her life-I just couldn't let that moment pass without telling her how much I love her and how much I want to spend forever with her."

April just kept silent, willing for Mark to continue.

Mark took that as a sign and continued; "I know Lexie thinks that I don't have a romantic bone in my body because of my 2 botched proposals-I know she deserves more than that, but what can I do, when you know, you just know."

April paused; "Awww..." she gushed.

"Let me tell you something Kepner" Mark said.

"Go on"

"If there's one thing I learned about the plane crash it's-there is no perfect time to tell someone you love them, if you feel it in your heart and you know that it's true then say it and make sure you say it out loud. Don't waste your time thinking about the repercussions even before you make a move because if you do, it might be too late."

April blinked a couple of times before clearing her throat.

Mark paused and met April's eyes; "Always go for broke-consequences be damned, timing be damned, other people be damned. Just get it off your chest and then go from there" he said wisely.

April shifted in her stool; "That's a very-good realization Dr. Sloan, I'll keep that in mind" she said shakily.

Mark's eyes crinkled on the side; "Don't tell Lexie I told you all that, I don't want her thinking that I'm turning into a mushy pansy" he said.

April stared at Mark for a moment before bursting into giggles.

"_Mission accomplished" _Mark thought triumphantly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Where are we going?" Meredith asked.

"I called my Financial Advisor and he was close enough to drop by, well be meeting him at the parking lot" Derek explained.

"Oohhhh, you work fast McDreamy, pretty impressive" Cristina said.

Derek chuckled; he then pointed towards the man sitting on the hood of a car. "He's already here, let's hurry" he said, walking briskly ahead of them.

Cristina shifted closer to Meredith and looped her arm to hers; "Why do they all look-geeky?" she whispered.

Meredith let out a giggle; "He's helping us, play nice" she said.

"Just saying" Cristina replied.

Derek turned towards Meredith and Cristina; "Here they are" he said.

"Hi Stan" Meredith said with a smile.

"It's nice to see you again Dr. Grey" Stan said politely. He then shifted his gaze to Cristina and offered his hand; "I'm Stan Grossberg, I'm Dr. Shepherd's financial advisor" he said politely.

Cristina shook the other man's hand; "Dr. Cristina Yang, it's nice meeting you-Stan" she said.

Stan smiled and pulled his hand away; "I know you guys have limited time so let's get this show on the road" he said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Thank you for letting me scrub in with this surgery Dr. Sloan" April said as she dry's her hand with a towel.

Mark discarded his towel on the provided bin and smiled at April; "Is it too late to sway you to change your specialty?" he asked as he opens the door and held it open for April. "You haven't started your Fellowship yet and you have logged in enough time with Plastics, I can take you under my wing"

April giggled as she steps out of the O.R; "I don't think I'm a perfect fit for it, you Plastic people loves perfection and precise movements, I don't think I can do that all the time."

Mark braised his hands around his hips; "I saw you work in there, I'm confident that you will do well."

April smiled at Mark while shaking her head deliberately slow.

"Damn! I almost had you there! I should've used more charm!" Mark said.

April laughed.

"Hey"

Mark and April both turned around and saw Jackson walking towards them.

Jackson stopped right in front of them and placed his hands around his waist; "What are you guys doing here?"

Mark grinned and gestured towards April; "Kepner just had her first nose job" he said proudly.

Jackson threw April a look, slightly confused with Mark's statement.

April playfully rolled her eyes at Mark before meeting Jackson's gaze; "I assisted him with a Rhinoplasty" she explained.

"Oh"

Mark patted April's back; "She has steady hands and she's hot, everything a Plastic Surgeon needs in their arsenal"

April's cheeks flush bright red; "Dr. Sloan!"

"What? I'm just saying," Mark replied.

April cleared her throat and gestured towards the other direction; "I-I better go, I still need to check on some patients-thank you again for letting me scrub in Dr. Sloan" she said hastily. She then threw Jackson a look; "Err-see you around" she said before scurrying away.

Mark followed April with his gaze; "Think about it Kepner! We can make room for you in our team!" he called out.

April's giggles echoed along the hallway.

"You just called her _hot _again" Jackson said pointedly.

Mark turned towards his prot; "She is" he replied nonchalantly.

"And you let her touch your patient which you seldom do."

Mark shrugged his shoulders; "There are no Trauma cases and I'm quite sure she's had enough of Neuro and General so I took her in, no big deal"

Jackson crossed his arms on top of his chest and narrowed his eyes.

Mark stared at Jackson's expression; "Are you jealous?" he asked.

"I'm not jealous!" Jackson replied.

Mark grinned; "Your nose is flaring and your normally sparkly eyes are dark"

"I'm not!" Jackson snapped. "You're already engaged and Lexie will skin you alive if she finds out that your flirting with April"

"I'm not talking about you being jealous because of _that-_I thought you were jealous because you think that _I'm replacing you_" Mark said with a smirk. He then spun on his heels and began walking away; "You still have _time_ Avery, use it wisely."

Jackson mouth hangs open as he watches his mentor saunter away.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"As per Federal Law, physicians cannot own and run the hospital for which they work for however you could ally yourselves with a for-profit or not-for profit agency which would be owner pro forma then all of you could form your own management company which would be hired by this foundation. Basically you would run the day to day operations much like board of directors" Stan explained.

"So you're telling me that we can actually do this?" Cristina asked.

"That's what he's trying to say" Meredith replied.

"We would also need one specific paper to come up with a bid" Stan said.

"What do you need?" Derek asked.

Stand turned towards Derek; "We need the hospital's financial statement because that will contain all information we need.

"How the hell can we get that?" Meredith asked.

"Owen-he's the Chief of Surgery, he has access to these things" Cristina replied.

Stan cringed; "You can't let him know- I'm 100% sure that the hospital made him sign non-compete, non disclosures, if he breaches them they will fire him or sue him" he said.

"We're buying this hospital behind his back?" Cristina asked with furrowed brows.

Meredith turned her gaze towards Cristina; "Owen can't know Cristina, we can't risk his job. We're not even sure if this will work-we still need funding"

Cristina thought for a moment; "Owen-I spoke to him an hour ago, he told me that he'll have a meeting with the board to run over some details about the buyout, I'm quite sure that they'll have a copy of the hospital's financial statement there. I'm just not sure how we'll be able to get around by that"

Derek smirked deviously; "Leave it to me" he said.

Meredith raised her brow.

* * *

"_**What's this? All this time I thought you didn't need me. Now I've gone from you and now you tell me. You're in love, but that's not what it was, all those times that passed by with no signs and now you're telling me. You miss me, why couldn't I see? And my heart don't agree with what you're telling me..."**_

* * *

April rode the elevator without a specific floor in mind, she just punched the button carelessly while mulling over what Mark just said. The Plastic Surgeon's words ignited something inside her chest and she can't help but feel that he's actually encouraging her to confess her feelings. Could it be that Lexie told him something? Nah-her friend wouldn't do that to her, Lexie gave her word and she completely trusts her. She was jostled out of her trance when the elevator doors chimed open; she surveyed her surrounding and let out a chuckle when she realized where she was; "Very fitting" she said to herself. She then stepped out of the elevator and welcomed the rare Seattle late afternoon sun shining down on her; she closed her eyes and let the wind caress her face. "Should I go for broke-consequences be damned or should I just keep my mouth shut and continue with what I'm doing?" she asked herself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Lexie told me what you guys are up to, what did Stan said?" Mark asked as he sidled up with Derek.

"Are you in?" Derek whispered back.

Mark grinned widely; "Of course I'm in, you guys are" he replied.

Derek smiled; "Good"

"I spoke with Arizona before I went ahead and find you, she told me she's also in. I added our money up, we're up to $90 million, but I don't think that will be enough to buy this place" Mark said.

"I know, Stan told us we would need to find for profit or not for profit agency that will support us, because even if we have the money, under federal law we can't run and own this place at the same time."

"We're hosed then?"

"Nope, Stan gave us some options and we will be exploring it after we a get a hold of the hospital's financial statement. We need to have an idea how much this whole stuff costs" Derek explained.

Mark wrinkled his nose; "How on earth will you be able to get that?"

"Don't worry about it, we have our own plan" Meredith said, appearing out of nowhere.

Mark jerked away from Derek and halted his steps; "Where the hell did you came from Grey?"

Meredith chuckled at Mark's reaction; "I've been trailing after you guys for quite some time now, you were speaking quite loudly" she said.

Derek chuckled as he pulled Meredith to his side; "Sneaking up on people is your expertise now?" he teased.

"Nope, sneaking up on my husband and his best friend is" Meredith replied.

Mark laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"So-I just spoke with Mark" Arizona said.

Callie raised her brow; "You two coming up with new recipes to force feed me and Sophia?"

Arizona chuckled; "We make a good team when it comes to cooking, don't tell me you don't enjoy it"

Callie cracked a smile; "Fine"

Arizona sat beside Callie; "They're planning on buying this hospital, they're coming up with a plan to outbid _Pegasus_ and I told them I'm in" she whispered.

Callie's eyes widen as she turned towards her wife; "R-really?"

Arizona nodded; "Really."

"B-but is the feasible? Can you guys really do that? I mean-do you even have enough money?"

"I still don't have any idea but Derek has been talking with his Financial Advisor, Mark will get back to me by the end of the day, he'll talk with Derek first"

"Wow-that's just wow..." Callie breathed out.

"I know" Arizona replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Did you get it?" Derek whispered as he pulls his wife to his side.

Meredith bit her bottom lip to keep from grinning widely; she lifted her lab coat partially, revealing the information they need.

Derek planted a kiss on Meredith's temple; "Your nefariousness is sexy as hell" he said with a large grin.

"I aim to please" Meredith replied.

Derek laughed out loud.

"We're regrouping in our house, right?" Meredith asked.

Derek pulled out his phone from his pocket; "I'll text them"

* * *

oOo

* * *

April pulled her bag from her locker and snapped it shut; she slung it around her body and tugged on her jacket. She made her way towards the door and pulled it open; she stepped out and began walking towards the hallway that leads to the exit.

"Kepner!"

April halted her steps and turned around.

Alex jogged towards the red head and stopped right in front of her; he braises his hands on his waist and puffed out a breath. "I'm still waiting for an answer you know"

April turned around and faced Alex fully; "You didn't give me an answer too"

"You're really gonna make me say it?" Alex groaned.

April raised her brow; "It's a yes and no question Alex, I don't know why it's so hard for you to pick" she quipped.

Alex stared at April for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh; "Fine."

April crossed her arms on top of her chest, clearly waiting for an answer.

Alex took a deep breath before meeting April's eyes straight on; "I still feel something for Iz-I married the woman for heaven's sake so obviously the feelings I have for her is not something I can just shove into a drawer and forget it ever existed."

April's face softened; "Oh Alex..."

"I know it's stupid because it's been 3 years and I've been screwing around like crazy but I guess when it comes down to who I really want-it will always be her-only her" Alex admitted.

April felt her eyes stinging at Alex's words; she can't believe that a guy such as Karev has the capability to love just as much as everybody else, he never disappoints-he still can surprise her in every turn.

Alex studied April's face; "Oh no-don't cry on me now, you can't cry about this Kepner! I need your perspective here not your tears" he said.

April sniffed loudly; "I'm not gonna cry-you just caught me off guard there. Wow-you never fail to surprise me, you just say the nicest things in the weirdest moments and when you're not being a jerk."

"Blah blah-yes, I'm full of surprises, now what?"

April squared her shoulders, Mark's words swirling around her head; "I think you should just tell her how you feel and go from there" she blurted out.

Alex scrunched his face; "That's not what I'm asking you! Are you fucking out of your mind? You know our history why would I do that? I just wanted to know why I need to talk to her" he said indignantly.

April shifted in her feet; "Look, I know this is kinda stupid-"

"You think?" Alex said sarcastically, cutting her off.

April paused and glared at Alex; "Do you want me to continue?"

Alex snapped his mouth close and gestured for April to continue.

April took a deep breath; "I know this is kinda stupid because like what you've said, I know your history but is your past more important than your future or present? You asked for a woman's point of view so I'll be blunt with you; a woman, who puts a man's feelings first before her career-especially in our field, is a woman who still cares for you deeply. You're a doctor Alex and you know how hard it is to find a job these days, if she didn't give a fuck about how you would feel, she would've just jumped in their ship and never showed her face here."

Alex crossed his arms on top of his chest defiantly; "It doesn't erase the fact that she abandoned me"

"But she came back and in return you pushed her away" April retorted.

"How do you even know that?" Alex asked, clearly surprised.

April raised her brow; "Are you really asking me that question?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Fine" Alex huffed.

"You can never change the past Alex but you can do something now, if you still feel what you've felt for her before then don't waste more time and just tell her" April said. She then let out a sad smile; "You are lucky because based from what I saw from her last night, she's still on the same page as you. Go for broke Alex, there's nothing to lose anyway, you only have her to gain."

Alex stared at April for a moment; "You think-you think so?"

"I know so" April replied.

"You sure?"

April let out a chuckle; "Woman's perspective-we all think alike."

Alex cracked a little smile; "Thank Apes, that was _very _enlightening" he said sincerely.

"Glad to help" April said. She then gestured towards the exit; "Gotta go home-I still have an early shift tomorrow" she said.

Alex nodded; "Yeah-drive safely" he said.

April nodded and spun on heels; walking towards the exit.

"April!"

April paused and turned her face back to Alex; "Yes?"

"If I'm going for broke, you should do the same thing too so if they both dump us then we can nurse our broken hearts together, you bring the booze and I'll let you crash in my own couch, I'll even have it tented especially for you" Alex said with a smirk.

April can't help but chuckle at Alex's words; "Good night Alex" she said before continuing her trek.

"I'm serious here!" Alex yelled out.

"Good night!" April yelled back.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson is unlocking his car when he noticed April heading towards his direction; he opened the back passenger door and threw his bag at the back seat. He closed it with again with a loud snap and leaned on his side; "April" he called out.

April tore her eyes away from her phone and halted her steps; she turned towards the voice and felt her heart skip a beat upon seeing Jackson leaning casually on his car. "H-hey"

"You going home?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah, how about you?"

Jackson stared at April for a moment; "I was planning on heading to Joe's to grab a beer, want to join me? It's been awhile since we last had a drink, I kinda miss my best friend" he said with a boyish smile.

April tucked some stray hairs behind her ear nervously; "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Jackson threw April a confused look; "Err-I don't get what you're asking" he said.

April swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth; "You have a girlfriend now Jackson-I don't want you to get into trouble, I'm quite sure there are people from the hospital there."

Jackson furrowed his brows; "You're still my best friend April and the people in this hospital knows that. And I'm quite sure Sadie won't mind, she knows you-well not in person but she still knows you"

"Oh"

Jackson pulled away from his perch and began walking towards the red head; "So-you up for a bottle or two? I'm buying" he said with a smile.

April stared at Jackson; "_How can I resist that smile, argh!" _she thought. She tightened her hold on her phone before letting out a small smile; "Sure, but I have to go home early, I have an early shift tomorrow"

Jackson grinned from ear to ear before falling into step with April; "Let's go."

* * *

oOo

* * *

Mark closed the fridge shut and placed his hands on his waist; "How can you live in this house? You don't even have food!" he asked incredulously.

"Simple, we eat out" Meredith replied.

Mark stared at Meredith; "But you're pregnant! You're supposed to eat healthy food, not processed food"

Lexie can't help but giggle at her fiancé's reaction; "Don't worry your pretty little head over it, when my sister says they eat out, it's normally gourmet food-not McDonalds" she explained.

"True" Derek piped in.

"You have this amazing kitchen and you don't even use it?" Arizona asked as she steps beside Mark.

"Feel free to cook here if you want to" Meredith replied with a large smile. "I don't mind eating home cooked meals once in a while"

Callie turned towards Meredith and shook her head subtly.

"I saw that honey!" Arizona said.

Callie turned her gaze towards her wife; "I didn't say anything!"

Arizona rolled her eyes.

Cristina plopped down beside Meredith; "Where's Webber?" she asked.

"Surgery gone late but he's on his way" Meredith replied.

Derek threw the papers on top of the coffee table; "I don't understand the majority of this stuff, it's giving me a headache" he said.

Meredith leaned forward and squeezed her husband's knee; "Let's wait for Richard, I'm quite sure he can understand that stuff a bit" she replied.

"Where's Grossberg?" Mark asked. "Isn't he supposed to be here as well?"

"He's on his-" Derek cut himself off when he heard the door bell ringing. He was about to stand up from his perch but Callie waived him off since she's the closest to the door. The Orthopedic Surgeon walked toward the door and pulled it open; "Richard is here with-I think he's your Advisor" she said.

Richard stepped inside the threshold; "I saw him walking along your driveway and he introduced himself to me" he explained.

Callie closed the door behind the two men and took a deep breath; "Let's get this show on the road" she announced.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April emptied her beer bottle and placed it on top of the bar counter; she wiped her lips with a napkin and turned towards Jackson. "I have to go"

Jackson checked the time on his phone before turning his gaze to April; "It's still early" he complained.

"_If I don't get out of here I might blurt out something I think I'll end up regretting in the morning" _April thought wryly. She then hopped off her stool and smiled at Jackson; "I know but my shift starts early too" she quipped.

Jackson plucked his beer and drained it with one go; he placed it back on the counter and stood up from his perch. "Let's go then,"

"You can stay Jackson, you don't have to go home too, you know" April said.

Jackson shrugged on his jacket; "Nope, no sense staying here alone-it gets boring" he replied. He then smiled and gestured towards the exit; "Come on, let's walk back" he said.

April tugged on her bag strap and nodded; she turned around and made her way towards the exit. _"There is no perfect time to tell someone you love them, if you feel it in your heart and you know that it's true then say it and make sure you say it out loud. Don't waste your time thinking about the repercussions even before you make a move because if you do, it might be too late" _she thought. She pushed the door open; _"_Stop thinking about it!_" _she chastised herself.

Jackson stepped behind her and held the door open; "You said something Apes?" he asked.

April cleared her throat; "N-no, I didn't say anything" she replied. She then threw Jackson a look before she resumed her pace; _"Always go for broke-consequences be damned, timing be damned, other people be damned. Just get it off your chest and then go from there" _she thought again. She bit her bottom lip as her heart started pounding erratically; she felt her breath hitch in her throat, forcing her to cough out loud.

Jackson placed his hand on her lower back; "You okay?"

"Y-yeah" April replied. "_You need to get the hell out of here, you're losing it" _she thought.

Jackson studied his best friend's face; "You look kinda pale, I can drop you off" he said with concern.

"No-I'm okay" April replied with a forced smile. She then surveyed the parking lot and noticed that their almost right in front of Jackson's car; she gestured towards it and cleared her throat. "There's your ride, see you tomorrow" she said hurriedly.

Jackson raised his brow; "I can walk you to your car, you're only 3 cars away" he said.

April halted her steps; "Stop it" she said offhandedly.

Jackson paused, taken aback with April's reaction; "I'm sorry?"

April turned and faced Jackson fully; she took a deep breath before meeting his eyes. "Just stop it" she calmly said.

"Stop what?"

April felt her eyes stinging but she ignored it; "Stop being so nice to me-don't make things harder than it already is, so please, just stop"

"I'm being nice to you and it's making things hard? What do you mean by that?" Jackson asked indignantly. He then narrowed his eyes; "How does that make things hard?" he demanded.

"_There's no perfect timing-consequences be damned-just get it off your chest and then go from there" _Mark's words keep on repeating on April's head.

"April?" Jackson said loudly.

April met Jackson's eyes and she can no longer hold it in; "I love you" she blurted out.

Jackson felt the air got knocked out of his chest, his eyes widening in shock.

April's hands flew to her lips, her eyes widening in mortification; "Oh god"

Jackson remained silent, still reeling from the unexpected confession.

April took a step back; "I-I'm sorry-I don't have any idea-I shouldn't have said that-I'll-I'll just go..." she breathed out before quickly spinning on her heels, walking away as fast as she could.

Jackson watched April run towards her car, his feet firmly rooted on the ground.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Whoa! That's freaking a lot of money!" Callie gasped.

Derek leaned back on his chair; "I think I'm having a migraine"

"We only have 2 days left to find an investor and to make a bid, based from what I heard, _Pegasus _will be sealing the deal a day after tomorrow" Richard said.

"I have a specific company in mind, I can ring them up tomorrow and see if they can meet some of you. No offense, but I think Richard and Derek will be the best candidate to speak with them" Stan said.

"I can go" Richard said.

"You go McDreamy, I'll tell Owen you'll be in late" Cristina said.

Derek sighed; "Okay"

* * *

oOo

* * *

April slumped back on her couch and covered her face with hands; "What the hell have you done?"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson climbed out of his car and slammed his door shut, not bothering to lock it; he stormed towards April's apartment and yanked the door open. How can she say something like _that _and just walk away? How can she throw words such as _love _and just expect him not to say anything. He stomped his way up to the stairs and made a bee line towards her door; he stopped right in front of it and began pounding it with his fist. "Open up Kepner I know you're in there, I saw your car" he said through gritted teeth.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April jerked forward upon hearing the loud pounding on her door; she shot up from her perch, her eyes widening in fright.

"I'll be pounding on this door the whole night if I have to April and I'm not kidding. So just do us both a favour and open this damn door-NOW"

April swallowed hard; "It's-it's already late Jackson-just go home, we can talk tomorrow" she said shakily.

"That won't work because we both know that you'll just be avoiding me like a plague so just open this damn door so we can talk now!"

April cursed lowly; she wouldn't be able to convince Jackson to go away, especially when he's this worked up. He's causing a scene and it won't take long for her neighbours to notice; she let out a defeated sigh and walked towards her door.

"Open up!" Jackson yelled again.

April rolled her eyes and began fumbling with the locks; she took a deep calming breath before yanking the door open.

Jackson didn't even bother to wait for April to invite him in, he just sauntered inside her apartment like he owns it. He then turned towards the red head and narrowed his eyes; "What the hell was that?"

April closed the door behind her and leaned her back on it; "I'm sorry-I shouldn't have said that"

Jackson braised his hands on his hips as he walked towards April; "So you don't mean it? What-you said that _L-word _just for the heck of it?" he said accusingly.

April felt her eyes stinging with his unjust accusations; "Do you think I just throw words like that for fun? That I blurted it out just for the heck of it so I can screw with you freaking head?"

Jackson felt his temper flare; "Are you telling me now that you're in love with me?"

April couldn't hold it in anymore; tears ran down her cheeks even before she got the chance to respond.

"Oh come on!" Jackson huffed, both from annoyance and the niggling guilt.

"_Just get it off your chest and then go from there" _Mark's words echoed inside her head again. She hastily wiped her tears and swallowed the lump in her throat; "I love you-I've been in love with you for quite some time now and it took me awhile to figure out what this feeling is because I have never felt them before" she said.

Jackson shook his head; "I'm sorry but I'm having a hard time digesting what you're telling me"

April felt a sharp pain inside her chest, prompting fresh batch of tears; she wiped them quickly and sniffed. "I know I should've been honest with you and just told you the moment I realized it but how can I do that when you look so happy with someone else"

Jackson frowned; "Are you pinning the blame on me now? Are you telling me that you didn't tell me how you felt because I started dating someone else?"

"I'm not blaming you, I'm just explaining why I didn't tell you" April replied.

"Oh please!"

Jackson's reaction triggered a certain emotion inside April's chest; images started flashing before her eyes, making her remember all the things that happened between them. She clenched her fist tightly and took a deep calming breath; "Please leave, I don't want to do this anymore-just leave"

"You always do that! You keep on shoving issues inside a freaking drawer and locking it away that's why we're not able to truly fix it because you don't want to freaking talk about anything!" Jackson accused.

April threw Jackson an incredulous look.

"Don't look at me like that because you and I both know its' the truth! You're the one who wanted to pretend that you and I never happened; you're the one who looked so relieved that you didn't have to marry me, you're the one who put the stupid boundaries and you're the one who told me to date Sadie!"

April felt something snap inside of her; "You want to talk about it, fine let's freaking talk about it! You wanted to know why I insisted to pretend that you and I never happened it's because _that's what you showed me! _I gave you my virginity and I don't regret that, not one bit. I overreacted fine that's my fault but what you did after?" she scoffed. "You treated me like I was _nothing_; you fawned over Lexie right in front of my face and stood me up when you're the one who insisted that we talk. You didn't even have the decency to text me to _at least_ let me know you're not coming, I waited for you-for _two _hours, I gave you a _month_ to at least explain but what did I get? _Nothing_"

Jackson opened his mouth to respond but April cut him off.

April wiped the tears from her cheeks; "You wanted to know why I was _so _relieved about not being pregnant? You proposed to me and made it seemed like you were all in but not even 24 hours after that emotional speech I hear you speaking with Mark telling him the opposite. If you were in my place what will you do? Will you still want to be married to someone who married you out of obligation? I acted so relieved eventhough it was killing me because you made me feel like it was the reaction you would have wanted to see. I played my part well to make you happy but you threw it back at my face and made me feel like I was on the wrong. You're the one who broke up with me so don't go on blaming me for putting up the _stupid_ boundaries!" she paused and took a deep calming breath. She felt the anger ebb away, leaving her weary; "I told you to date Sadie because that's the only way for us to maintain the boundaries so that you and I can move pass this" she paused again and met Jackson's eyes directly; "You're still my best friend Jackson and I wouldn't want you to be stuck in the same place as I am. I told you how I felt not because I'm expecting you to say the same thing; I said it out loud because I can no longer lie to myself" she explained.

Jackson swallowed hard as he staggered backwards, he wanted honesty and now it bit him in the ass. He didn't know that April felt that way and he certainly didn't know that he was able to hurt her that much, now he just feels like the world's biggest douche.

April stepped away from the door and pulled it open; "Now that the air has finally been cleared between us, I think it's time that you leave" she said quietly.

Jackson felt dread creep inside his chest; "April I-"

"Don't say anything Jackson-please? I can't argue with you anymore, I'm too tired and I don't think I can stand being in the same room as you, so please-just go"

Jackson stared at April's downtrodden demeanor and felt guilt gnaw inside his chest; he's hurting her again and god knows that the last thing he wanted to do. He took a deep breath and quietly made his way towards the door; he felt sadness radiating from the red head as he passed her by and automatically his heart started to ache. He clenched his fists tightly when he heard the door closing behind him; he felt the familiar stinging in his eyes so he hastily made a bee line towards the stairs.

April leaned back on her door and slowly slid down to the floor; she gathered her knees to her chest and buried her face into the crook of her arms. "Just just get it off your chest and then go from there" she said loudly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

_**A/N: Another long chapter with them dancing around each other and it's annoying, I KNOW but I can't just put them together without having a go at each other first-it wouldn't be "THEM" if they just fall into each other's arms like they don't have issues to settle. (Just saying ^-^)**_

_**So—the infamous "talk" finally happened and everything is laid out in the open-no more skirting around each other and no more misconceptions-the FUN part starts now. The following chapters will still showcase some of the key scenes from the original, mostly about the merging because I still want them to own the hospital. The storm will still take place but it will be twisted in a way I imagined it to be. Again, feel free to leave me a review, I'm really considering what you have to say and I'm trying my best to incorporate it too. Cheers! ^-^**_


	9. Scared to death

**Chapter Nine: Scared to death**

* * *

"_**You can leave me, take away all that I have. You can want me, love me for who I am. Choices, romance, taking me high in the air, flying, so scared, afraid not to see you again. 'Cause I'm scared to death, now that I'm losing you, I'm scared to death, knowing I can't get through, I'm scared to death, living this so lonely life without you, I'm scared to death..."**_

* * *

It's amazing how we never realize the worth of something until were on the verge of losing it. The clarity the word _end _brings when you're standing at the edge of a cliff struggling to keep your balance-all the doctors in Seattle Grace Mercy West are exactly in the same spot right now, albeit differently.

"We're screwed, aren't we?" Meredith asked upon seeing Derek and Richard's face as they entered the Attendings' Lounge.

Derek dropped his suitcase on top of the coffee table and plopped down beside his wife; he tugged his tie loose and yanked it off his neck. "That guy we just talked to was a pompous ass, he can't even talk to us without barking orders at his staff at the same time" he muttered.

Richard went towards the fridge and pulled it open; he got himself a bottle of juice and popped the cap open. "He made us wait for an hour and only saw us for 10 minutes, I hate guys in _suits" _he said before taking a swig of his drink.

Derek leaned back on the couch and rested his head at the back; "That's the only investor Stan contacted"

Meredith rubbed her stomach as she let out a defeated sigh; "Yep, we're toast. We'll be galloping with _Pegasus _then"

"We have no other choice" Richard said. He then gestured towards the door; "I need to run, I have Lap Chole in 30 minutes, contact me if anything comes up okay?" he said.

"Yeah" Derek and Meredith replied in unison.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Alex cheerfully leaned on the counter and smiled widely at the nurse; "Can you page Dr. Kepner? I need a consult" he said.

The nurse tore her eyes away from the computer and stared at Ped's Fellow; "Dr. Kepner changed shifts, she will not be in until 8 this evening and she's not on call, I can page Dr. Hunt instead if you want?"

Alex's smiled faltered as he stares at the nurse; "Are you sure? Because I just spoke with her last night and she told me that her shift starts at 7 in this morning" he said.

The nurse shifted her eyes back on the computer and began typing on the keyboard, after a moment she turned her eyes back to Alex; "I'm sure, her schedule has been updated"

Alex furrowed his brows before pulling away from the counter; "It's okay, you don't have to page Dr. Hunt, thanks" he replied. He then plucked his phone away from his pocket and began fiddling with it, when he found April's number he tapped on the call button and shifted his phone to his ear. He heard it ring for a couple of times before it was redirected to her voicemail; he pulled his phone away and hit on the redial button again.

"Who are you bugging this early?" Lexie asked as she walks towards her friend.

Alex signalled for Lexie to wait; "Hey Apes, where the hell are you? I need to talk to you ASAP, call me as soon as you hear this message, okay? Bye" he said before tapping on the right keys to make sure that his message gets delivered.

"Why are you calling April?" Lexie asked.

Alex stuffed his phone back into his pockets; "Did she tell you that she'll be switching her shift today?" he asked.

Lexie furrowed her brows; "No, did she?" she asked.

Alex nodded; "She did. I asked the nurse over there to page her but I was told that there have been some changes on her schedule, it's weird because I spoke to her last night and she told me that she'll be in early today."

"April doesn't like night shifts, she's a morning person" Lexie said. "You just tried calling her phone and I assume you were routed to voicemail?"

"Yeah" Alex replied.

Lexie stuffed her hands inside her lab coat pockets; "I wonder what happened?"

"I don't know" Alex replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Avery!"

Jackson robotically turned around and saw his mentor walking towards him; he forced out a small smile and nodded. "Yeah?"

Mark stopped right in front of his prot and cocked his head to the side; he studied the young surgeon's face and noticed his blood shut eyes. "What's up with your eyes?"

Jackson blinked a couple of times; "What's wrong with them?"

Mark placed his hands on his waist; "They're blood shut and you have huge bags under them" he said. He then grinned widely when an idea popped into his head; "You spent the night with Sadie?"

Jackson just frowned in response.

Mark's smile instantly vanished from his lips; "Don't tell me you're still upset with yesterday?"

Jackson turned around and returned to his charts; "I'm not upset about yesterday" he replied.

"Then what crawled up your ass and died?" Mark asked.

Jackson closed his eyes tightly and let out a defeated sigh; "I'm the world's biggest douche" he mumbled.

Mark shifted closer to the counter and leaned on his side; "Why do you say that?" he asked.

Jackson's eyes snapped open and shifted his gaze to Mark, meeting his eyes; "April told me she loves me last night and I threw it back at her face" he admitted miserably.

Mark's eyes widen; "W-what?"

Jackson braised both elbows on top of the counter and buried his face into his palms; "She told me she's in love with me and didn't tell me because she thought I was happy with Sadie."

Mark mentally cursed; "What did you say? Do you feel the same for her?"

Jackson began rubbing his face gruffly; "I don't want to answer that question now, all I know is that I royally screwed up and I don't know what to do."

Mark stared at Jackson's forlorn demeanor; "Do you still remember what I told you right after the accident? The night I asked you to bring Sophia in for the very first time?"

Jackson pulled his face away from his hands and turned his face towards Mark; "You said a lot of things that night, what exactly are you asking me?" he asked.

Mark met Jackson's eyes seriously; "I told you that night that if you love someone you say it, even if you're scared that it's not the right thing-even if you're scared that it will cause problems and even if you think it'll burn your life to the ground you _have_ to say it and then you go from there"

Jackson wrinkled his nose; "And you're telling me this now, because?"

"Because it looks to me that you're also in love with her but you _refuse_ to say it" Mark said bluntly.

Jackson felt the air get knocked out of his chest; he stared at Mark for a second before scowling at the other surgeon. "You're crazy, you know that?"

Mark pulled away from his perch; "Think about what I said Avery, life is too damn short to be keep on dilly dallying. Don't wait till it's too late" he said seriously before walking away.

Jackson watches Mark disappear around the corner before resuming his work.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April threw the blankets off her body and let out a puff of air; she sat up from her bed and scooted towards her headboard. She plucked her phone from the side table and began checking for messages. She felt her brows rise upon seeing a new voicemail coming for Alex; she tapped on the screen and shifted the phone to her ear. She listened to his voicemail and furrowed her brows; she pulled it away and tapped on Alex's number. She shifted the device back to her ear and waited for the call to connect; after a few rings, her call was routed to voicemail. "He asked me to call him but he's not answering, smooth Karev-very smooth" she huffed. She then placed her phone back to her side table and let out a dejected sigh; "Why did I listen to Sloan again? This is the second time I heed his advice and I always ended up being screwed, gaaaahhhh!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Richard was just stepping out of the O.R when he saw a familiar figure walking towards him; "You didn't tell me you're coming" he said.

Catherine Avery stopped right in front of her beau and smiled; she shifted closer to the General Surgeon and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Hi baby"

Richard can't help but smile at Catherine's endearment; "It's not that I'm not happy to see you but what brought you here?"

Catherine began drawing circles on Richard's chest; "I was invited to Seattle Pres to assist on a surgery but the patient coded on the table" she said.

"I'm sorry" Richard said.

Catherine sighed; "I am too, he was so young to die" she replied.

Richard opened his mouth to respond but his pager went off; "One moment" he said. He then plucked the device and read the message; "I have to get this, but this won't take long, lunch?"

Catherine patted Richard's chest; "I'll go find my baby boy, just text me when you're ready" she said with a smile.

Richard leaned forward a planted a soft kiss on Catherine's lips; "See you later" he said before walking away.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Alex"

Alex tore his eyes away from his tab and turned towards the voice; "Yeah?"

Arizona gestured towards her patient's room; "Please order a CT contrast for him, I just need to do something."

Alex furrowed his brows; "Is something wrong?"

Arizona shoved her hands inside her lab coat pockets and shook her head; "Nah-just a quick consult" she replied evasively.

Alex studied Arizona's face for a moment before nodding; "Sure" he replied.

"Thanks!" Arizona chirped before spinning on her heels and walking away.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"So you're telling us that we'll be galloping to the future?" Cristina asked with a scowl.

Derek sighed; "We did our best"

"Doesn't Stan know any other investor? Other foundations perhaps?" Mark asked.

"There are some but most of them cannot shell out the amount we need" Richard replied.

"How much more do we need?" Lexie asked curiously.

"$175 million" Meredith replied.

Lexie's eyes widen; "Wow! That's a lot!"

"So-there's really nothing we can do?" Arizona asked.

"I'm afraid not" Derek replied.

Meredith grasped her husband's hands in hers; "Well-we tried"

Derek nodded; "We did."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Baby!"

Jackson froze mid-step; "Please don't let it be my meddling mother-I don't need this now" he mumbled to himself.

"Jackson!"

Jackson closed his eyes and cussed lowly; he turned around and forced out a smile. "Mom"

Catherine made a bee line towards her baby boy and engulfed him into a tight hug; "I've missed you!"

Jackson returned the hug; "You just saw me a month ago" he said through gritted teeth.

Catherine chuckled as she pulls away; she cocked her head to the side and cupped Jackson's face into her palms. "You look tired baby, is Sloan running you ragged?"

Jackson pulled his face away; "Sloan is not running me ragged, we don't even have that much patients here" he replied.

Catherine let her hands fall to her side; "I heard, your E.R. has really been closed?" she asked.

"Yeah, so no patients. All I do is suck fat all day" Jackson said with a huff.

Catherine chuckled, she then paused when a thought hit her; "If you don't have an E.R then what happened to April? How can she practice her specialty here then?"

Jackson felt a biting sting inside his chest upon hearing the red head's name, making him wince involuntarily; "S-she's doing more General and Neuro and Sloan let her scrub in with his surgery"

Catherine noticed her son's reaction; she opened her mouth to question him further but decided against it when she saw emotions swirling in his eyes. _"It was not the right time to pry but something's definitely up" _she thought. She then cleared her throat and stood straighter; "I see. I'm heading to the cafeteria to grab coffee, want to join me or would you rather suck fat?"

Jackson stared at his mother for a moment before letting out a small smile; "Coffee."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"There you are! I've been looking for you" Richard said.

Jackson plucked his coffee from the table and stood up; "This is my cue to leave" he said. He then leaned forward and planted a kiss on his mother's cheeks; "Call me before you leave tomorrow" he said.

"I will baby boy" Catherine said affectionately.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Dr. Webber" he acknowledged before walking away.

Richard sat on the chair that Jackson vacated; "I still have 10 minutes before we can leave for lunch" he said.

"I can wait" Catherine replied before taking a sip of her coffee. "That was a fast consult"

Richard leaned back on his chair; "It was really not a consult, I just needed to speak with Shepherd"

Catherine let out a teasing smile; "Gossiping then" she concluded.

Richard chuckled; "We don't gossip, I don't know what you're talking about"

Catherine rolled her eyes; "Men are worst with gossips"

"Not in this hospital" Richard quipped.

Catherine chuckled; she then leaned back on her chair and studied her beau's face. "Jackson told me that _Pegasus _will officially own this hospital tomorrow, how do you feel about that?"

Richard sighed; "Don't remind me."

Catherine's demeanor instantly turned serious; "_Pegasus _runs crap, I've seen it. I don't think this hospital stands a chance if they take over."

Richard nodded in agreement; "We went to Portland General to see it firsthand and it was not pretty. I'd rather retire than work for them" he paused. "I never thought I'd retire even before I'm ready"

Catherine leaned forward and grasped Richard's hands in hers; "Mass Gen is an option you know. I'm sure I can find a spot for you and Jackson" she said earnestly.

Richard gazed into Catherine's eyes; "I've worked so hard for this hospital only for it to be taken away by them, it's not fair" he said sadly.

Catherine squeezed Richard's hand; "I know..."

"We tried you know-to buy this hospital. Meredith and the other doctors who are involved in the plane crash all decided to make the purchase. Derek and I went to meet with this pompous CEO of the company we're supposed to partner with but it didn't work."

Catherine raised her brow; "You are all planning to buy this hospital?"

Richard chuckled; "Yes, but our luck ran out so were all at stalemate."

"How much more do you exactly need?"

Richard sighed and stared at the ceiling forlornly; "We're $175 million short" he admitted.

Catherine stared at Richard's face as the wheels started turning inside her head.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Where have you been?" Mark asked as he noticed Jackson walking towards his direction.

"My mom is here" Jackson replied.

Mark threw his prot a sympathetic look; "I feel for you man" he said. "I'm doing a Breast Augmentation in 30, want to scrub in?"

"I can't, I'm doing a Gluteal Lypo on Mrs. Burkis in 10" Jackson replied.

Mark grimaced; "That's your 2nd Lypo for the day, right?"

Jackson frowned; "I know because if _Pegasus _sucks fat, so do I."

* * *

oOo

* * *

April just locked her car when her phone rang loudly; she plucked it from her pocket and tapped on the answer button. "Alex, what's up?"

"Where the hell are you? You didn't return my call!" Alex huffed.

April rolled her eyes; "I tried calling you but you sent my call to voicemail" she replied.

"Where are you?"

April began walking towards the hospital's employee entrance; "I just pulled up in the parking lot, I'm currently walking towards the entrance-why do you keep asking where I am? Did something happen?"

"I'll meet you there" Alex said before hanging up.

April pulled the phone away from her ear and stared; "Did he just hung up on me? Meet where?" she asked incredulously. She then shoved her phone back inside her pocket and continued her trek; she pushed the door open and stepped inside. She began walking along the familiar hallway but halted her steps when she heard her name being called.

"Kepner!"

April turned around and was surprised to see Alex jogging towards her, coming from the opposite direction; "You're starting to creep me out."

Alex stopped right in front of the Trauma Surgeon and grinned widely; "I've been looking for you this morning but you changed your shift"

April shifted in her feet; "Yeah I did, I-err-I needed to do something this morning, so yeah, I did" she lied.

"Do what?" Alex asked.

"Chores?"

Alex threw April a sceptical look, clearly not believing her fib.

April cleared her throat; "So, why are you looking for me again?" she asked.

Alex automatically grinned again; "Guess" he said somewhat giddily.

April scrunched her face; "Err-you got laid?"

Alex stared at April for a moment before laughing out loud.

April can't help but crack a smile; _"At least someone's happy today" _she thought.

Alex's laugh died down after a couple of seconds but a smile is still visible on his lips; he shoved his hands inside his pockets and cleared his throat. "So-I talked to Izzie last night"

April's eyes widen in surprise; "You-you what?"

Alex bit his bottom lip to stop himself from grinning like a loon; "I spoke to her last night and we're good."

April stared at Alex cautiously; "When you say you're _good, _do you mean you're good because you settled your issues and you guys are moving forward or you're good because you got back together?"

Alex just grinned widely as a response.

April's eyes widen; after a moment, a large smile blossomed on her lips before throwing her arms around the Ped's Fellow.

Alex laughed jovially as he wraps his arms around April's waist; he hefted her from the floor and began twirling her around.

April giggled; "Put me down Alex!"

Alex gently lowered her back to the floor; "You were right, she still loves me. We're not _yet _back together because there are still some things we need to settle but we're on our way"

April felt tears stinging her eyes; "Oh Alex! I'm so happy for you!"

Alex can't help but smile at April's reaction; "I've been looking for you all day because I wanted you to be the first to know" he explained.

April wiped at her eyes; "I don't know what to say..."

"Thank you Apes" Alex said sincerely.

April reached for Alex's arm and squeezed it; "You're welcome, I'm happy it worked out for you"

Alex grinned; "It did."

April chuckled; she then checked her watch and saw the time; "Well, I better get in there, my shift starts in 10 minutes, I still need to change into my scrubs" she said.

"Okay" Alex replied, still grinning widely.

April shook her head before gesturing towards the hallway; "Got to go, see you tomorrow" she said before turning on her heels and walking away.

"Have a nice shift!" Alex called out.

"Will do, have a good night and say Hi to Izzie for me!" April replied while waving her hand.

Alex chuckled; "Okay!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was just pulling on his jacket when the door to the Attendings' Lounge opened; he closed his locker shut and grabbed his bag from the bench. He was rounding the corner but paused when he collided with someone; "Sorry" he said.

April felt her breath hitch inside her throat when she realizes who she bumped into; she awkwardly took a side step and bowed her head.

Jackson felt a pang inside his chest upon seeing April's reaction; he nervously cleared his throat and stared at her. "You-you're just coming in?"

April lifted her head and met Jackson's eyes; "Y—yes" she replied.

Jackson shifted in his feet; "I thought you were on morning shift today?"

"I-switched shifts, I had to take care of something this morning" April lied.

"I see" Jackson replied, not believing it one bit.

April gestured towards the lockers; "I need to change, good night" she said.

"Okay"

April didn't even bother with a response and hastily made a bee line towards the locker.

Jackson stared at the spot where April stood a couple of minutes ago; guilt and inexplicable pain swirling inside his chest. He took a deep breath before forcing himself to move; he threw the locker area one more look before completely turning his back and walking away.

April waited for the familiar sound of the door closing before she let out the breath that she seems to be holding; she walked towards the bench and sat down. "You can't avoid him forever, eventually you'll have to work with him so you better learn to suck it up" she said to herself. _"As if that's easy" _she thought.

* * *

oOo

* * *

**The next day:**

Jackson groggily turned to his side and tried reaching for his phone; he clumsily snatched it from the side table and tapped on answer button without checking. "Hello"

"Good morning baby! I need you to come into my hotel as soon as possible"

"Why?" Jackson croaked.

"I'll tell you when you get here. So get your ass off your bed and come see me, I'll be waiting for you. Be here in 30 minutes, okay?"

"This better be good" Jackson said irritably before disconnecting the call. He placed his arm on top of his eyes and let out a loud groan.

Cristina and Owen are walking along the hotel lobby when they saw Meredith and Derek standing near the elevator; the Cardio Surgeon let out a yawn before stopping right in front of the couple. "Do you know why Webber asked us to come here?" she asked.

"No idea" Meredith replied.

"Have you seen him already?" Owen asked.

"We haven't" Derek replied.

"You guys are also here?"

The couples turned around and saw Mark walking with Lexie, Arizona and Callie in tow.

"Webber called you too?" Cristina asked.

"Yes, we were about to head to the hospital early but he told us to come here first" Arizona replied.

"This is weird, is he treating us for breakfast or something?" Mark asked.

Lexie rolled her eyes; "You and your obsession with food"

"Hey, is that Jackson?" Callie asked while pointing towards the revolving doors.

Mark turned around and saw his prot walking towards the reception desk; "Avery!" he called out.

Jackson turned his face to the side and saw his friends standing near the elevator; he furrowed his brows and made his way towards them instead. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"Richard asked us to come here" Meredith replied.

Jackson opened his mouth to speak but the sight of Richard walking towards them stopped him; he pointed towards the elevator. "Why don't you ask him,"

Richard smiled pleasantly; "Good morning everyone, thank you for coming in such a short notice" he said. He then gestured towards the hallway; "Come with me" he said.

Meredith threw Cristina a look before walking towards the direction that Richard pointed, making the other surgeon's follow.

Richard noticed Jackson lagging behind; "You're mother is waiting for you in the same room Jackson" he said.

Jackson threw Richard a confused look; "She's there? Why?"

Richard just smiled mischievously; "You'll know soon, now come on, we don't want to keep her waiting long" he said.

Jackson stared at Richard for a moment before nodding; "Okay" he replied grudgingly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April sleepily walked towards the couch and plopped down; she rested her head at the back and closed her tired eyes.

"Long night?"

April opened her eyes and smiled upon seeing Miranda standing by the door; "Good morning Dr. Bailey" she greeted.

Miranda rolled her eyes; "Don't pretend to be perky, I know you're tired" she said before walking towards the fridge.

April chuckled before standing up from her perch; "Today's my off that's why I'm trying to be peachy" she replied.

Miranda closed the fridge; "Good for you then, have you seen Webber?"

April yawned; "Nope, haven't seen anyone yet"

Miranda placed her hands to her hips; "I wonder where everyone is"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson furrowed his brows upon seeing his mother standing right in front of his friends; he made a bee line towards her and stopped beside her. "Mom, what is happening?"

Catherine Avery smiled widely; "Have a seat, I'm about to tell you" she replied mischievously.

Jackson walked towards the empty chair beside his mentor and plopped down

Mark threw Jackson a side glance; "You're Momma is a morning person, isn't she?"

Jackson crossed his arms on top of his chest as he leans back; "She's a 24 hours type of person, she's always perky any time of the day-it's freaking annoying" he grumbled.

Mark chuckled.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Webber brought to my attention the fact that all of you have been looking for an investor to partner with you in purchasing Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital" Catherine said.

Jackson narrowed his eyes at his mother; "_This is not good" _he thought.

"It is my pleasure to tell you that the Harper Avery Foundation would like very much to take you up on that offer."

"_Fuck!" _Jackson thought.

Relieved sighs and laughter echoed inside the empty ballroom.

Catherine smiled upon seeing their elated faces; "We only have one condition, only one. Since the foundation will be putting up the majority of the funds, we would like a representative of our choosing to sit on your board of directors" she explained.

"You can choose whomever you want!" Mark said enthusiastically.

Jackson bowed his head and gritted his teeth, trying his best to control his temper.

Catherine chuckled at Mark's antics, she then clapped her hands to get everyone's attention; "My dears, we only have a couple of hours to make this bid, do you want to do this thing or not?"

The doctors all rose from their seat and began patting each other's back happily.

Jackson shot up from his chair and stomped towards his mother; "You woke me up at the crack of dawn just to tell me you're coming to Seattle to be my boss?" he asked, irritation evident in his voice.

Catherine turned to face her son and smirked; "No sweetheart, you misunderstood. The foundation is electing you as our representative-with the majority of the stocks that means you are in charge and not me."

"What the hell are you talking about? I don't want to be _in charge" _Jackson said indignantly.

Catherine shifted closer; "You are aware that if we don't do this _certain _people will be laid off, right?"

Jackson scrunched his face; "I know that! But that doesn't give you the excuse to just buy it!" he hissed.

Catherine rolled her eyes, her son can be daft sometimes; "Your E.R. will be turned into a Hernia Center, without your _E.R._ who do you think they'll be laying off _first_?" she asked while staring at him intently.

Jackson stared into his mother's eyes for a moment before it dawned on him; he felt his anger ebb away as overwhelming gratitude replaces it. _"His mother did this for him, she thought about intervening even before this Pegasus shit hits the fence-she understood that this buyout might cause him April since the hospital will no longer need Trauma Surgeons. She's doing it for him-for her." _He cleared the lump in his throat, trying his best to stifle his raging emotions; "I-I-don't know what to say" he rasped out.

Catherine smiled as she cups Jackson's face; "Just give your mama a kiss because she just bought you a hospital" she teased.

Jackson cracked a smile before planting a chaste kiss on his mother's cheek; "Thank you" he whispered.

"You're welcome baby" Catherine murmured.

* * *

oOo

* * *

The day progressed in such a fast pace that all of the doctors involved in the buyout didn't seem notice; they were able to come up with a bid that sealed the deal even before their shift ended. Now, all of them are a proud owner of a $268 million dollar hospital and everything is back to its rightful place; no more ludicrous Hernia Center, no more sneaking around to save a patient's life and no more Alana Cahill-it's a win-win situation for all of them and it felt damn good.

"So-shall I call you _Boss _now?" Mark asked with a teasing tone.

Jackson tore his eyes away from the documents his perusing; "I'm sorry what?" he asked confusedly.

Mark stepped inside the conference room and braised his hand on top of the swivel chair; "Shall I call you _Boss _now?" he repeated with a huge grin.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "I'm not your _Boss, _we're all part of the board" he replied.

"But you're Mr. 51%, you can pretty much veto our votes" Mark said.

Jackson leaned back on his chair and just sighed tiredly.

Mark noticed the stressed look on his prot's face so he back pedalled with his jabs; "Come on, I'm only kidding" he said with an appeasing smile.

"I just-I don't know if I can do this" Jackson admitted.

Mark pulled the chair his holding and sat down; "What do you mean?"

Jackson gestured towards the scattered paper on the desk; "I don't think I'm cut out for this" he said. He then fixed his gaze at Mark; "I've been running away from this for so long but it somehow managed to back me in the corner."

Mark grimaced; "I'm sorry, I was just joking a couple of minutes ago-you're not my _Boss, _we're all equal here"

"I knew you were" Jackson said glumly.

Mark sat straight and met Jackson's eyes; "Look, I'm not gonna pretend that I know what it feels like to run away from a family legacy because my family doesn't seem to give a shit about me, what I do know though is the feeling of being backed in the corner."

Jackson sat straighter as he listens to his mentor intently.

"It's not a very good feeling because it's as if you're suffocating and you can't do anything about it. But this corner that you're saying that you've been shoved into, this one is different-you know why?"

"Why?"

Mark smiled; "Because we're on the same corner too, you won't be alone" he said. He then pointed towards the papers on the table; "I don't know what all this shit means and last night when Derek was going through the hospital's financial statement-he didn't understand a damn thing too, he just ended up with a terrible headache. We are not all cut out for this Avery because we're _doctors _and not _lawyers. _We were all pushed in the same corner because we chose to, because we care about this place and the people who works with us, it maybe suffocating at first but I think it'll be worth it" he said.

Jackson stared at Mark pensively, clearly mulling his words.

Mark repeated his earlier sentiments; "You're not alone in this, you have us with you-we can run this place" he said confidently.

Jackson can't help but smile at Mark's fervour; "You're not afraid of screwing up?"

Mark sniffed haughtily; "We own this damn place, who will dare tell us that we screwed up?"

Jackson laughed loudly, feeling elated for the first time.

Mark smiled upon seeing the relief from Jackson's face; he then stood up from his perch and gestured towards the desk. "Your brain is fried so there's no sense going through them tonight. Pack up and let's just go home" he said.

"But-"

Mark placed his hands on his hips and pinned Jackson with a stern look.

Jackson stared at Mark for a moment before rolling his eyes; "Fine" he said.

Mark smiled again; "Good boy" he said before helping him collate the papers.

Jackson just shook his head; _"Maybe this won't be bad-you did this for your friends whom you call family-you're doing this for her after all" _he thought.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April walked into her living room with her laundry hamper in her arms, she made her way towards the couch and plopped down; "Laundry day on my time off, Yey!" she said to herself sarcastically. She plucked a shirt from the basket and placed it on her lap; she was about to fold it but paused when she noticed her phone vibrating on top of the coffee table. She leaned forward and grabbed it; she checked the name on the screen before tapping on the answer key. "Hey Lex, what's up?"

"I've been calling you for hours now! Why are you not answering?" Lexie said loudly.

April cringed and pulled the phone a couple of inches away from her ear; "Why are you shouting?" she asked.

"I have good news and I'm dying to share it with you!" Lexie said giddily.

"Will you be shouting all throughout this call?" April asked.

Lexie laughed loudly as a response.

"I'll put you on speaker so I can fold while you shout" April said. She then tapped on the screen again and placed her phone on the space beside her; "Talk to me, what's your news"

"_Pegasus _didn't seal the deal tonight"

"Err-how is that good news Lex? If they didn't seal the deal then that means that we're all screwed"

"No silly! _Pegasus _didn't seal the deal because we did!" Lexie said proudly.

April paused and turned her gaze on her phone; "I don't think I understand you correctly, come again"

Lexie laughed; "We bought the hospital!"

April's hastily grabbed her phone and switched it back to handset mode; "You did what?!"

"We bought the hospital ourselves" Lexie replied.

"I didn't know that the hospital gave you that _much_ money for you to be able to buy it back"

"Oh-our money, albeit combined is not enough, the hospital is worth way more than that"

April leaned back on her couch; "Then how on earth were you able to buy it?"

"Jackson-well, technically it's his Momma that helped us pay for it but she appointed Jackson as the foundations representative" Lexie explained.

April's eyes widen in shock; "Catherine-she bought the hospital for Jackson?"

Lexie giggled; "She did-it was crazy!"

April blinked a couple of times, willing everything to sink in; "I-I don't know what to say..."

"I know you're still shocked but this is a happy time Apes! You're finally getting your E.R. back, no need to be stuck with General or Neuro, you can finally practice your specialty!" Lexie said ecstatically.

April can't help but smile; "That'll be great"

"I know! Well, I have to run, I still need to check on some post ops-I'll call you again once I'm done, okay?"

"Okay-thank you for telling me Lex" April replied.

"No problem! Talk to you later!"

April pulled the phone away from her ear and lowered it to her lap; she stared at the device pensively as thoughts began swirling in her mind. _"The E.R will be re-opened so there will be Trauma again; she doesn't need to worry about her job and finding a new Fellowship anymore. The place will be run by competent people who happen to be her friends too, so it will be-Oh god, Jackson, he will be her boss now..." _she thought. She then sagged back on the couch and groaned; "Crap!"

* * *

"_**Something's changing, giving me fears run through my head. Only find me, give me the eyes I will understand. Words left unsaid, leaving me weak in the edge, getting over, I'm running scared, I can't comprehend..."**_

* * *

"You're early" Cristina said as she enters the conference room.

Jackson tore his eyes away from the documents his perusing; "I have to be because I don't understand a single thing about this stuff" he said while wiggling the paper in his hand.

Cristina chuckled, she then pulled a chair and plopped down; "Don't sweat it Pretty Boy, all of us doesn't understand it as well-we'll manage" she said somewhat supportively.

Jackson can't help but smile at Cristina's words; he then pointed towards the box of doughnuts on the table. "Help yourself, it looks like we'll be here long" he said.

Cristina eyed the box before shifting her eyes back to Jackson; "No need to woo us Pretty Boy, we won't veto you" she teased.

Jackson shook his head, a smile still pasted on his lips.

Cristina leaned forward and grabbed herself a doughnut.

"Good morning" Lexie said brightly.

"Morning" Jackson replied. "Where's Mark?"

Lexie pulled a chair adjacent to Cristina and sat down; "He's with Derek and Mer, I think he's convincing them to let him use their kitchen" she said.

Jackson wrinkled his nose; "He's what?"

Lexie waved her hand dismissively; "He's kinda obsessed with cooking lately, Arizona taught him a thing or two so now he likes to call himself as _Master_ _DoctorChef"_

Cristina snickered; "Is he still making those scones? Owen said it's quite good"

"Yes, I still make them. I can make you a box if you want-free of charge" Mark said with a grin as he enters the room.

"I take it that Mer and Derek let you use their kitchen?" Lexie said.

"If I don't let him he'll just be bugging me for the rest of the day" Derek said as he steps into the room.

"He does make good scones and he promised to make me those yummy banana cupcakes I saw on TLC" Meredith said with a smile. "Win-win situation for me"

"I'll download the recipe from the internet, you'll have your cupcakes before this weeks end" Mark said as he sits down beside his fiancé.

"My kitchen is yours then" Meredith replied.

Jackson threw his mentor an amused look.

"Are we late?" Arizona asked as she enters the room.

"Nope, we haven't started yet" Jackson replied.

Richard closed the door behind him and made his way towards the vacant seat; he eyed the pile of papers on top of the table while sitting down. "Looks like we'll be here for_ awhile_" he said.

"We are so, grab a doughnut" Cristina said before taking a bite of her own.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Edwards! You're with me today" April said with a pleasant smile.

Stephanie walked towards the Trauma Attending and smiled back; "Morning Dr. K" she greeted.

April handed her tab to the intern and began walking towards the elevator; "Let's see if you did your homework, tell me about our patient" she said before hitting on the button.

Stephanie stepped inside the elevator; "Bradley Parker, 31 years old. End stage A.L.S, trach dependent and had a lap-chole three weeks ago."

April stepped out of the elevator; "What else?"

"Now his chief complaint is _hematochezia_-he actually used that word" Stephanie said with amusement.

April paused and turned towards Stephanie; "Yeah, he was an internal medicine resident at Mercy West when I was there" she explained.

Stephanie's eyes widen in shock; "He did a residency with A.L.S?"

April resumed her walk and made her way towards their patient's room; "He was diagnosed second year and worked till he couldn't anymore, he's an amazing guy-he's an amazing friend" she said. She then frowned when she heard blaring music; "Is that coming from his room?" she asked before pushing the door open

Stephanie shrugged her shoulders and followed April inside.

April's eyes widen upon seeing the room crowded with their fellow Mercy Westers; she walked towards the bed and began looking where the music is coming from. "Hey, could you turn that down?" she asked. When nobody answered her she made a bee line towards the overhead and switched the radio off; "Hey guys, what the hell is going here? This is a hospital, there are very sick people here" she said pointedly. She then faced her patient and narrowed her eyes at him playfully; "That includes you too, Brad"

Brad just responded with a smile and a wink.

April shook her head and turned towards the crowd; "Okay, everyone out. Let's go, come on"

"It's alright, I invited them" Brad rasped out.

April crossed her arms on top of her chest and waited for the people to disperse; when everyone left the room, she shifted towards the side of the bed and smiled. "Uhuh-well, Dr. Edwards and I need to discuss your next steps, so maybe if everyone could leave" she said while eyeing the remaining people inside the room.

"I already know my next step" Brad interjected. "I'm donating my organs"

April's smile faltered as her eyes widen in shock.

"We do organ donations after the patient's is brain dead, you're nowhere close to brain dead" Stephanie said, clearly confused.

Brad coughed loudly.

"He's doing D.C.D-donation after cardiac death" Brad's mom explained.

"He can give it after his heart stops" Brad's father added.

April felt a lump form inside her throat, making it hard to speak. She just stared at her friend, willing for him to explain himself.

Brad understood April's silence; "I'm being kept alive by this vent, once we disconnect it, booyah"

April felt her eyes stinging so she bit her lip hard, trying her best to control her emotions in front of her friend.

"Chief Hunt signed on it, welcome to my funeral" Brad said.

April sucked in a mouthful of breath before shifting her gaze to Stephanie.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Knock, knock"

The laughter died down as all eyes turned towards the door.

Owen stepped in with Catherine, he cleared his throat; "You guys done here?" he asked.

Derek and Meredith pushed away from the table and stood up; "Yep, we just finished discussing _things"_

Cristina also stood up; "Well gotta work now" she said.

Arizona and Richard followed their lead and also stood up.

Catherine smiled; "Well that's good, I need to borrow Jackson for a moment"

"He's all yours" Cristina said with a snicker.

Jackson rolled his eyes before standing up from his perch; "What for?" he asked.

Catherine waited for the other doctors to pile out of the room before she walked towards her son; she gestured towards the folders and stood right in front of him. "Did you read through them?"

Jackson let out a tired sigh; "No, I did not read through them, as I couldn't possibly read through them as they are not in English" he said.

"I understand..." Catherine said soothingly.

Jackson met his mother's eyes; "I am not a lawyer and I am not an accountant-so I don't understand a damn thing about it" he ranted, frustration evident in his voice.

Catherine leaned forward and touched her son's arm; "Nobody understands those documents baby, that's why we hire these smart people to explain them to us. All you really have to do is hear what they have to say, ask a couple of questions and trust your gut. You have to put your game face on and listen to the suits-"she paused and smirked. "And try not to nod off when they start talking about debt to equity ratios, it's like sedative."

Jackson took a deep breath; "Are the suits here?" he asked.

Catherine nodded; "They're waiting for us in the South Conference Room, you ready?"

Jackson squared his shoulders; "I guess" he replied.

"Let's go then"

"One more thing, when we are there, I'm not _Sweetheart, _okay?" Jackson said sternly.

Catherine smiled widely; "Okay..._baby" _she teased.

"Mom!"

Catherine chuckled.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was scouring the whole hospital for her mentor but she can't seem to find him; she leaned towards the nurses' station and buried her face into her palms.

"You alright?"

April hastily pulled her face away and turned her head sideways; "Have you seen Hunt?"

Alex placed his tab on top of the counter; "Nope, I haven't seen anyone in fact" he replied. He then leaned on his side and stared at April; "What's wrong?"

"He signed off on a D.C.D patient and he happens to be my friend" April replied glumly.

Alex grimaced; "That's tough"

"Don't I know it" April replied. She then sighed; "What about you? What are you up to?"

"A rebellious teen refusing for a kidney transplant, she locked herself inside her bathroom because she doesn't want to lose her hair" Alex replied.

April cringed.

"I had to steal her boyfriend's phone so I can coerce her to go with it"

"Did it work?"

Alex grinned pompously; "Nobody can refuse me"

April rolled her eyes.

Alex pulled away from his perch; "Well, good luck with your patient, I'll see you later, I have an O.R. to book"

April just waved goodbye.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson just got off the meeting with the suits and his head is aching terribly; he sat down on a vacant swivel chair behind a nurses' station with the intent of hiding from his mother. He reclined on the chair and closed his eyes tightly; he let out tired sigh as he rubs his temples.

"Rough day?"

Jackson opened his eyes and turned his head to the side; "More than rough. The men suits and my mother made me stare at numbers for so long, I think I'm gonna puke" he admitted.

Callie threw the Plastic Fellow a sympathetic look; "I feel for you"

"There you are!"

Jackson groaned as he sat straight.

Cristina smiled widely at Jackson before handing him a folder; "Can you sign this for me? It's a heart and lung domino transplant, my patients agreed to swap their organs when they realized that they'll both die if they wait for UNOS" she explained.

Jackson opened the folder and checked the info; he then shifted his gaze to Cristina; "Why do I need to sign off on this, you're a board member, you can authorize it" he said confusedly.

Cristina shrugged her shoulders; "You're the head of the board, your signature is needed"

Jackson plucked his pen from his breast pocket and signed his name on the dotted line.

"Where are you going Mer?" Cristina asked.

Meredith stopped right in front of the nurses' station; "I'm picking up Alex's kidneys"

Jackson handed the folder back to the Cardio Surgeon; "Alex's kidneys?"

Meredith realized what she just said; "Oh-I'm picking up kidneys for his patient" she corrected herself with a chuckle.

"You're not picking up any kidneys Grey, it'll be delivered to us" Miranda said as she walks towards her former prots.

"I'm sorry what?" Jackson asked.

Miranda placed the handbook she's carrying on top of the counter; she opened it and flipped to the right page. "Donated kidneys coming from outside a certain radius will be flown unaccompanied saving personnel hours."

"Is that the _Pegasus _handbook?" Cristina asked curiously.

Miranda closed it with a snap; "Yes"

Meredith turned towards Jackson; "Are we waiting for the kidneys to be delivered or should I go there?" she asked.

"Have someone call them first to check" Jackson replied.

"Okay" Meredith replied.

"Good call" Miranda said. She then cracked a smile; "Not too bad _Bossman_" she teased.

Jackson groaned; "Stop calling me _Bossman, _I'm not anybody's boss!"

"Except you are" Callie said with a grin.

Jackson rolled his eyes.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Catherine was walking along the hall with a purpose; she has been looking for an elusive red head for a couple of minutes now but all her attempts seem to be futile. She rounded the corner with every intention of trying her luck on the surgical floor but halted in her steps when she spotted her stepping out of the elevator. _"Jackpot" _she thought happily. "April baby!"

April shifted her eyes away from Stephanie and turned towards the voice; she swallowed hard upon seeing Catherine walking towards her.

Stephanie noticed the change on April's demeanor so she followed her gaze; "Is-is that Dr. Catherine Avery?" she asked with wide eyes.

April let out a nervous chuckle; "Err-yeah" she replied.

Stephanie turned her gaze towards April; "I should check on the O.R to make sure everything's ready—" she said while gesturing towards the other direction.

"You can't just leave me here!" April said lowly.

Stephanie cringed; "She seems eager to see you and we need to make sure we have room, see you in an hour Dr. K-sorry!" she said before hastily scurrying away.

Catherine stopped right in front of her son's best friend and pulled her into a tight hug; "It's so nice to see you again baby! I've missed you!"

April cringed as she hugs the old surgeon back; "It's so nice to see you too" she replied.

Catherine pulled away, a smile visible on her lips; "How are you baby?" she asked, concern seeping through her words.

April can't help but smile at Catherine; "I'm fine-I heard what you guys did-well, I don't know if I'm in the position to say this but-thank you" she said with sincerity.

Catherine waved her hand dismissively; "Oh don't thank me! We only did what had to be done, this hospital deserves more than a mythical creature that doesn't do anything but gallop around"

April giggled at Catherine's antics.

Catherine shifted to April's side and looped her arm around the red head's arm; "Join me for coffee, I heard from your intern that you have an hour to spare" she said.

"Sure but I'm buying, God knows you already spent enough money paying for this hospital" April joked.

Catherine laughed loudly.

April smiled.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You do know we have on call rooms right?"

Jackson's eyes snapped open and turned his head towards the voice; "Hey" he said while sitting up.

Alex placed his tab on top of the counter and smirked; "I heard what you guys did, total badass"

Jackson cracked a smile; "It was Mer's idea, she's the badass" he replied.

Alex chuckled; "I can't tell her that, she might kick my ass-sensitive pregnant hormones"

Jackson laughed.

Alex leaned on the counter; "Do you want me to call you _boss _now?" he teased.

"Only if you want to get fired" Jackson quipped.

"You can do that?" Alex asked.

Jackson just leaned back on his chair and smirked.

Alex looked thoughtful for a moment before grinning; "Badass!"

Jackson laughed; "Is your kidney here?"

"Nope but it'll be here in an hour" Alex replied. He then scrunched his face; "It's still weird having it delivered you know, you changing that policy or something?"

"I don't have the slightest idea, we'll see" Jackson replied.

Alex then thumped his hands on top of the counter; "Well I better go, I still need to prep my patient."

Jackson nodded; "Okay"

Alex paused when a thought hit him; "Have you seen Hunt by any chance?"

Jackson checked his watch; "He's in surgery, why?"

Alex pursed his lips; "April is looking for him-something to do with him signing off on a D.C.D patient of hers" he explained.

"Err-yeah, he's into surgery"

Alex studied his friend's face; "She's kinda upset about it, she said that it's her friend" he said cautiously.

"Friend?"

Alex nodded; "Yeah, hey-I better get going, see you around man" he said before walking away.

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Friend?"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Is everything ready?" April asked as she falls into step with Stephanie.

Stephanie turned towards April; "Yes" she replied.

April took a deep calming breath before letting out a tight lipped smile; "Let's go then" she said before pushing the door open to the O.R.

Stephanie threw her Attending a concerned look before following her inside the room.

April waited for Brad's family to settle down beside the O.R. table before she walked towards it; she put on a brave face as she stopped beside him.

Brad smiled serenely at April before nodding, telling her that he's ready.

April felt emotions clog her throat so she just let out tight lipped smile as a response; she plucked the syringe containing the drug that will induce cardiac arrest from the tray and shakily injected it directly into his IV lines. She pulled the syringe off and placed it back on the tray; she took a step back to give the family space. She walked towards Stephanie but paused midway when she heard loud noises outside her O.R; she furrowed her brows and threw Stephanie a confused look.

"Where are you going?" Cristina asked.

Alex turned his gaze to his friend; "Surgery" he replied.

"What O.R. are you in?" Cristina asked.

"O.R. 2" Alex replied as he hauled his patient's bed right in front of it. "Why?"

Cristina furrowed her brows; "No, I'm in O.R. 2"

Alex frowned; "No, you're not. I am" he replied.

"No, I have a domino transplant, heart trump kidneys" Cristina insisted.

"I'm getting a kid off dialysis, she's a flight risk" Alex said loudly.

"Can you guys shut up? My patient is trying to die here and he'd like to do it silence" April said while peering from the door.

Alex cringed; "Sorry Apes" he said. "How long is he gonna be? Yang needs the O.R"

"I've got an O.R." Cristina said.

April felt her temper flare, she stepped out of her O.R and scowled at her friends. "I told you guys to shut up!"

"Hey! All of you shut up and calm it down" Callie intervened. She then gestured towards the O.R. board, let me see what we can do, okay? Just calm it down" she said before turning walking towards the board.

Jackson heard the commotion and decided that it's time to step in, he's a board member anyway; he walked towards the bickering surgeons and squared his shoulders. He turned his gaze first at April and cleared his throat; "Kepner, go back to your patient-he can take as long as he needs" he said softly. He moved his eyes towards Cristina; "Yang, you're in O.R. 2" he said.

Alex frowned; "What? Come on man!"

Jackson threw his friend an apologetic look; "I'm sorry Alex but Yang is right, heart and lungs trumps kidneys, take the patient back to holding and the next available O.R is yours" he said.

Alex pursed his lips petulantly; "Fine" he said before tugging on his patient's bed backwards.

"Sorry evil spawn" Cristina said.

Alex rolled his eyes; "Whatever"

April threw Jackson a grateful look before stepping back into her O.R; she checked her watch and took a deep breath. She walked towards the operating table and stood behind Brad's parents; "It's almost time" she softly said. "When the monitor goes-he's gone. They'll have to start operating so...we should probably pay our respects now."

Stephanie stepped beside April and gently squeezed the Attending's arm in support.

April threw Stephanie a saddened look before shifting her gaze back to the monitor when it started beeping loudly. She sucked in a deep breath before walking towards it, she switched the device off before checking her watch again; "Time of death-18:46, start the clock" she said.

Brad's mother leaned forward as she whimpered in anguish.

April felt her heart breaking as she watches the scene before her; she checked the timer near the bed and noticed that their down to 4 minutes. She walked towards Brad's mother; "Hazel, we only have 5 minutes or this will all have been for nothing" she said gently.

Brad's mother refused to budge and just kept crying.

April shifted her eyes back to the timer and saw that they only have a few minutes to spare; she shifted closer to the distraught mother and began tugging her away from the body. "I'm sorry Hazel...I'm so so sorry...come on" she coerced. When she was able to pull her off, she passed her to Stephanie and nodded towards the team that's waiting inside the scrub room. She took a step back and tried her best to control her emotions; _"He's in a better place now-a place where it no longer hurts" _she murmured to herself as tears fall down her cheeks.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Edwards, a word please" Jackson said when he saw Stephanie walking towards the elevator.

Stephanie obediently walked towards Jackson and stopped right in front of him; "Is there something you need Dr. Avery?" she asked.

Jackson stuffed his hands inside his lab coat pockets as he shifted in his feet; "Your D.C.D patient, is it Bradley Parker?" he asked.

"Yes" Stephanie replied.

"I see" Jackson replied. "Do you know where April is?"

Stephanie threw Jackson a sad look; "I think she went to the tunnels-she was crying the last time I saw her"

Jackson sighed; "Okay, thanks"

Stephanie nodded before walking away.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April leaned back on the wall and hugged her knees to her chest; it's not the first time she that she lost a patient and it's definitely not the first time that she lost a very close friend _however _this is the first time she lost both voluntarily. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes tightly; "Suck it up, it's better this way" she murmured to herself sadly.

"April?"

April's eyes snapped open; she turned her head sideways and saw Jackson standing a couple of steps away from her. She hastily wiped her cheeks and sat straighter; "H-hey"

Jackson took a tentative step towards the gurney that April is sitting at; "I didn't know that it was Brad-I just saw his name after I signed off on the papers from the harvest team"

"Yeah-it was him"

Jackson gestured towards the space beside April; "May I?" he asked cautiously.

April eyed Jackson for a moment before nodding.

Jackson climbed up the gurney and sat beside the red head, keeping a respectable distance between them. He then turned his head sideways and stared at April with concern; "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

April bit her trembling bottom lip and just shook her head; it's been an emotional draining day for her and her chest feels so heavy. Seeing someone close to her die right before her eyes again brought back ugly memories; she didn't want to do it but she didn't have a choice. A sob escaped her lips even before she got the chance to stifle it; she buried her face into her palms and tried to cry the hurt away.

Jackson didn't think twice; he shifted closer to April and wrapped his arm around her shoulders; he pulled her into his chest and enclosed her tiny frame into a tight hug.

April pulled her hand away and burrowed her face into Jackson's neck; she grasped his scrubs top on as she bawled.

Jackson closed his eyes as he pulled her closer; he hates seeing April hurting like this-it made him feel helpless. He knew that seeing Brad die brought back painful memories for her, if he only knew earlier that her patient was one of her closest friends, he wouldn't have let her take the case. "I'm sorry Apes-I know it had been hard for you but he's in a better place now-he's no longer hurting" he whispered.

April's grip on his shirt tightens as her cries intensified.

Jackson began rocking her back and forth; "It's alright-Ssshhhhhh-it's gonna be alright" he whispered.

"I-I can't-I-really can't-"April managed to choke through sobs.

Jackson opened his eyes; "Can't what?" he asked softly.

April pulled her face away from his neck and turned her tear stained face towards Jackson; she hiccupped and sniffed. "I-I can't lose you too-you can't die on me _Jackman-_promise me you won't die on me..." she said brokenly.

Jackson felt his heart break upon seeing the pain etched on April's face; he wiped the tears on her cheeks and met her gaze seriously. "I won't die on you-I promise. You'll always have me, I'm not going anywhere" he said.

April chin wobble as fresh tears pools in her eyes.

Jackson sighed and pulled her back into his arms; he planted a soft kiss on her head before leaning back on the wall. "I'll never leave you Apes, it's always gonna be me and you, I promise" he whispered.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Hey, have you seen April?" Lexie asked as she peers inside the Attending's Lounge.

"Why are you just standing by the door like a creeper?" Alex asked.

"I'm not allowed in here, this is the Attending's Lounge" Lexie replied.

Alex raised his brow; "You are aware that you now own this place right?"

Lexie thought for a moment before wrinkling her nose; "Yeah right, still not used to that" she replied. She then stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her; "So, have you seen her? I tried calling her phone but she's not answering"

"Last time I saw her she was with her D.C.D patient" Alex replied before taking a swig of his juice.

Lexie walked towards the couch and plopped beside the Ped's Fellow; "She had a D.C.D patient? That's sad"

"You know what's sadder?" Alex asked.

"What?"

"He's her friend"

Lexie's cringed; "That's-tough"

"That's what I told her too" Alex replied.

Lexie opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when the door was jarred open, admitting Jackson in. The Plastic Fellow didn't seem to notice the two people occupying the couch as he made a bee line towards the locker area.

"Hey Jackson, have you seen April?" Lexie called out.

"Yeah, I'm taking her home. Why?"

Alex turned towards Lexie and raised his brow; "You're what?" he asked loudly.

Jackson rounded the corner carrying April's stuff together with his; stopping right in front of his friends. "I'm taking her home, I can't let her drive when she's this upset" he explained.

Alex's brow furrowed in concern; "Is she alright?"

Jackson sighed; "Today was hard for her because it brought back bad memories, she's a little bit shaken up but she's alright"

Lexie stared at Jackson; "You sure you can take her home? Mark and I don't mind, we can drop her off" she offered.

"I'll take her home" Jackson replied.

"Okay" Lexie replied.

"Stay with her, she needs you now" Alex said seriously.

Jackson nodded; "I'll see you guys tomorrow, have a good night" he said before stepping out of the room.

"Do you think it's a good idea to let Jackson take April home?" Lexie asked.

Alex turned his face to Lexie; "If there's someone April needs now, it's her person. Jackson is her person-so yes, I think it's a good idea"

Lexie pursed her lips; "Okay then,"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Mark was leaning casually on the nurses' station when he spotted his prot walking briskly towards the elevator; "Hey Avery, where's the fire?" he asked.

Jackson turned to his side and saw Mark; "I'm gonna head out, just page me if you need me" he said before punching on the elevator button.

Mark furrowed his brows when he noticed the stuff Jackson is carrying; he pulled away from his perch and began walking towards him. He stopped beside the young surgeon and raised his brow; "Are you stealing women's clothes now?"

"I'm not, these are April's clothes-I'm fetching it for her" Jackson replied.

Mark's eyes widen; "Are you-?"

Jackson turned to face his mentor; "Nope we aren't" he replied.

"Then why are you doing this?" Mark asked.

"April had a rough day and she's upset, I can't let her drive herself home so I'm taking her there instead" Jackson explained.

"What happened?"

Jackson punched on the elevator button again; "Damn we have to get this fixed" he said irritably. He shifted his gaze back to Mark; "It's a long story but to cut it short, one of her patients died and he happens to be a close friend"

Mark narrowed his eyes; "Loved ones aren't suppose to be-"

"It's a D.C.D patient, she didn't break any rules and Hunt signed on it" Jackson said defensively.

"I don't give a damn about the rules, what I meant to say is, she's should've let someone else do it-seeing someone you care about die is hard" Mark clarified.

Jackson sighed; "I know-she's pretty much broken about it"

Mark threw Jackson an empathic look; "Are you sure you can take her home? I mean-I can probably drop her off with Lexie" he offered.

"No, it's okay. I'll do it, she's already waiting inside my car" Jackson replied.

"Okay then," Mark replied.

"Finally!" Jackson said loudly when the elevator doors opened. He stepped inside and punched on the appropriate floor; "If you see my mom tell her I went home and don't forget to be here early-we have a board meeting first thing-we'll be discussing about re-opening the pit."

"Okay boss!" Mark said with a small smile.

Jackson rolled his eyes.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April stared at the dimly lit parking lot right in front of her as she contemplates her current situation; when she first went to the tunnel with the intent to cry her heart out she didn't expect Jackson to show up. They've been pretty much avoiding each other ever since the screaming match in her apartment but seeing him standing there when she needed him the most made her realize that Jackson will always be there for her, rough patch or not. He showed her that he can set aside their personal issues and be whatever she needs-which makes it difficult for her because she can feel herself falling even further for him. _"If only things are different right now" _she thought glumly.

"Hey-I'm sorry if I took long, got held up by some people on my way here" Jackson said.

"It's alright, you didn't make me wait long" April replied.

Jackson walked towards April and stopped right in front of her; "Mark thought I was stealing women's clothes so he had to ask" he said while handing her things over.

April cracked a small smile; "He's just looking out for you" she replied.

Jackson smiled; "I know-kinda annoying sometimes"

April looked thoughtful for a moment; "Like a mother hen"

Jackson can't help but chuckle at April's words; "Don't let him hear you say that or he'll force feed you with his scones" he joked.

April wrinkled her nose; "He's still doing that?"

Jackson nodded; "Yep and he just managed to convince Mer and Derek to lend him their kitchen so expect more baked goods in the next coming days"

"Well-he does make good scones" April said.

"That's what Cristina and Mer said"

"Thank god I'm not the only one who thinks that, I thought there something wrong with my taste buds after I ate one"

Jackson laughed.

April smiled; "_See? We can do this, we can be friends again" _she thought.

* * *

_**'Cause I'm scared to death, now that I'm losing you, I'm scared to death, knowing I can't get through. I'm scared to death, living this so lonely life without you. I'm scared to death, falling in love with you, I'm scared to death, there's nothing that I can do. I'm scared to death, what if you won't be around anymore..."**_

* * *

Three months had passed since the hospital's transition and everyone seems to be in a better place. Meredith and Derek are almost 9 months pregnant and just counting the days before they meet their second child. Cristina and Owen are still trying to come up with a compromise that will let them stay together. Alex and Izzie officially announced that they've moved in together and thinking about tying the knot _again _while Mark and Lexie finally decided on their wedding date. April is focused more on her studies because her board is coming up and she's determined to pass. She's also been very busy with the newly refurbished pit because ever since the board decided to re-open it, Owen pretty much gave her free reins. Jackson on the other hand had been extremely busy, he's been splitting his time between admin work and surgery, being the head of the board is taking its toll on him-hence another aspect of his life is suffering. He's still with Sadie though, much to everyone's dismay. After April's unexpected confession Mark thought his prot will finally man up and admit his feelings, he expected them to be a couple by now especially after the moment they shared with the Trauma Surgeon's D.C.D friend, unfortunately things doesn't work that way-more like, Jackson doesn't think that way. They were good though, they're no longer avoiding each other like a plague, there's still lingering awkwardness between the two of them but they manage.

"Kepner, how are we doing?" Owen said as he walks towards his prot.

"Take a look" April said while gesturing towards the beds. "From ambulance arrival the entire intake only took 22 minutes and 11 seconds, our new E.R. works" she finished with a proud smile.

Owen shifted his gaze back to April and smiled; "Just like it's supposed to"

April opened her mouth to respond but couldn't when a loud explosion shook the whole hospital; "What hell was that?" she asked, panic evident in her voice.

"The tanker must have blown" Owen replied. He then shifted his eyes towards the E.R. doors when he heard muffled screams coming from the outside; he gritted his teeth upon seeing a man in a hospital gown being eaten by flames. "Call the Burn unit, we're gonna need a gurney" he shouted loudly.

"Dear god" April gasped.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Lexie pulled away from Mark to catch her breath; "I really need to get going"

Mark began nipping on his fiancé's neck; "Derek has Ross, I'm quite sure he can spare you a couple of more minutes" he murmured.

Lexie cocked her head to the side, giving Mark an easier access to her neck; "That feels so good" she moaned.

Mark chuckled; he then began trailing his lips towards Lexie's face, he was about to reach her lips but paused when he heard his pager beeping loudly. "Seriously?"

Lexie can't help but giggle at Mark's reaction; she planted a soft kiss on his lips before burying her face into the crook of his neck. "Looks like someone is looking for you"

"Where the hell are my Fellows? They're supposed to take over when I'm busy!" Mark said petulantly.

Lexie pulled her face away and planted another kiss on Mark's lips before hefting herself away from his lap; "Running their own service of course" she quipped.

Mark plucked his shirt from the floor and shrugged it on; "These are the times I miss having Avery as my resident, he takes care of things and only pages me if needed"

Lexie tugged on her scrub top on before pulling her hair up in a ponytail; "Well, you can't expect him to swoop in for you now, he's got a lot on his plate" she replied.

Mark grabbed his pager from the coffee table and read the message; he automatically shot up from his perch and grabbed his coat. "A tanker blew, I'm being paged to the pit"

Lexie's eyes widen; "A tanker blew?"

"Yep and you're coming with me, all hands are on deck" Mark said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Mark hastily walked towards Miranda and Richard; "I got your page-is this—"

"The human fire ball" Miranda replied.

Mark grimaced; "Let's get him to the burn unit right away" he said while tugging on the gurney.

"Okay let's roll" Miranda said loudly.

"Everybody listen up, we're gonna be receiving more patients so buckle up, this will be a long day" Owen shouted.

April hastily laced her trauma gown as she ran towards the incoming gurney; "What do we have?" she asked.

"Elyse Cruse, 37 weeks pregnant, hypotensive in the field with abdominal bruising and second degree burns on her right arm" The paramedic explained.

"Page O.B!" April called out to the nurse. She then shifted her gaze to her conscious patient and let out a comforting smile; "I'm Dr. Kepner, can you tell me your name?" she asked.

"My name is Elyse Cruse"

"Okay Elyse-"

"I don't care about me, just do everything you can, just save my little girl-please"

April leaned on the gurney; "How about I save you both?"

"Yeah-that'll be great"

April let out another smile before began tugging on the gurney while barking orders; she hauled it on one of the open spaces and began examining her pregnant patient. "She has abdominal tenderness to palpation" she said. She then shifted her eyes on the monitor when it began beeping wildly; "Damn it! She's having decels, her BP is dropping" she said. She then moved her eyes to the patient; "Okay, Elyse, stay with me, okay? Just try to stay with me?"

"Is my baby okay?" Elyse asked in panic.

April leaned forward and placed her hands on Elyse's hips; "We're gonna roll you to your side now, okay?" she said before turning her to her side.

"My baby-"

"Try not to worry" April assured her patient as she secured a pillow on Elyse's side. She turned her gaze to her nurse; "Page O.B again, right now-please?"

The nurse nodded and briskly walked away.

April turned her eyes to the monitor; "Come on! Where the hell is OB?"

"What's happening?" Elyse croaked through tears.

"Kepner, she's bleeding" Alex called out from the other gurney.

April threw Alex a look before leaning forward to check it; "What?"

Alex hastily made his way towards April's patient and began checking her; he took a peek under the gown and stared at the red head. "Cord's prolapsed, we need to secure it."

"What's happening?" Elyse asked again.

April turned to Elyse; "Your baby's umbilical cord has dropped and it's now trapped against her body and that's why she's in distress" she explained.

Alex pull on a new set of gloves and leaned towards the patient; "Ma'am, we need to keep the cord inside, so your baby doesn't lose any more oxygen. To do that, I'm gonna have to place my hand inside, I'm really sorry but it's gonna hurt a lot, okay?" he said gently.

"Did you call my husband?"

April nodded; "I did, now hold my hand" she instructed.

Alex waited for the patient to nod before trying to push the cord back but after a moment he stopped and shook his head; "We need to get this baby out, where the hell is O.B? Tell them to meet us in the O.R. now!" he asked.

"Right away" The nurse responded.

April pulled the side railing up; "Elyse we're going into surgery right now to take care of your baby, okay?"

Elyse nodded.

April met Alex's gaze before nodding; they both pulled on the gurney and began pushing it.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson stepped inside the Burn Center and was surprised to see the amount of people bustling around; he furrowed his brows and began looking for Mark. When he spotted him standing by a patient's bed, he made a bee line towards the older surgeon.

"His arm is broken and it needs to be fixed ASAP, page Ortho" Mark ordered.

"Right away Dr. Sloan"

"What the hell is going on? Did something happen?" Jackson asked.

Mark turned around; "A tanker blew" he replied.

Jackson frowned; "And why I wasn't paged about this?"

"The majority of the patients hasn't arrived yet but you'll get your page, don't worry" Mark said in an appeasing voice.

"I hate being the head of this hospital-all I do is attend stupid meetings, I should be out there helping patients for goodness sake, I'm a doctor!" Jackson said in frustration.

"Be a doctor then, you're the head of the board, delegate" Mark said.

Jackson mulled his mentor's words; 'You're right, I'll do that " he said.

"Now that you're here, ditch the lab coat and come with me. Let's swoop down the pit and snag ourselves a patient" Mark said.

"Like the good old times?"

Mark grinned; "Plastics Posses in action"

* * *

oOo

* * *

April found herself walking towards Elyse's room an hour after the surgery; they we're able to take the baby out safely but there had been complication and too much bleeding. Her vitals are stable for the moment but there are no assurances that she will be able to pull through; she stood by the door and listened to her husband's heartbreaking pleas. She felt a pang inside her chest as she watched him plant a kiss on Elyse's cheek before stepping outside the room She waited for a couple of minutes before entering it herself; she stood by the door and stared into her patient's frail form.

"Hey-I'm just gonna check on her burns" Jackson said as he enters the room.

April turned her face towards Jackson and just let out a tight lipped smile.

Jackson made his way towards the side of the bed and pulled a stool; "How is she doing?"

April sighed; "Not well. She's acidotic and her creatinine's sky high" she replied. She then paused and shook her head dejectedly; she stared at Elyse for a second before shifting her gaze back to Jackson. "You know, they dated in college"

Jackson uncapped the antibiotic cream before throwing April a look; "Yeah?"

April nodded; "But then her Dad died so she had to leave school and they lost touch, till about 3 years ago when they both randomly decided to move from Wisconsin to Seattle and join the same bowling league, how weird is that?"

Jackson slipped on his gloves and met April's eyes; "That people join bowling leagues?"

April rolled her eyes before shifting her gaze back to her patient; "The universe kept pulling them together...just waiting for them to see that they were meant to be together and then..." she paused and stared at Jackson.

Jackson shifted his eye to the patient's arm; "And then a tanker explodes and she ends up in the hospital-yeah" he said.

April took a deep breath; "Yeah-"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"What are you doing here? I thought you're flying out for the TED conference?" Mark asked when he saw his best friend standing by the O.R table.

Callie gestured towards the patient; "I was but then...baked Alaska over there" she said glumly.

"Are you the only Ortho here?" Mark asked.

"Nope but I'm the only one available to take on this surgery" Callie replied.

Mark grimaced; "Sorry"

Callie sighed; "Let's just get this over with" she said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April felt her heart beating erratically as she run towards Elyse's room; she felt dread fill her chest upon seeing Jackson doing chest compressions on her patient. She hastily slipped on gloves as she made a bee line towards the bed; "What happened?"

Jackson shifted his eyes to April; "I was doing my exam and she started bleeding from her incisions and her IV sites and she dropped into V-fib, we just shocked her once"

April pulled the paddles from the nurse; "I'll take over, charge to 150" she ordered.

Jackson pulled his hands away; "Push another epi" he ordered.

April placed the paddles on Elyse's chest; "Clear" she said before turning her eyes to the monitor. When she didn't see any changes she shifted her eyes back to Elyse; "No...no...no...no...Clear" she yelled as she shocked her again.

Jackson turned his gaze to the monitor but didn't see any changes; "Charge to 200" he ordered.

"Clear!" April yelled again. "Come on Elyse!"

Jackson shifted his gaze to April, willing her to look at him.

"Push 5 of epi, now!" April ordered.

Jackson leaned forward and grabbed the paddles from April's hands; "April we lost her"

April paused and met Jackson's eyes.

"Okay?" Jackson said softly.

April bit her bottom lip as she shook her head in denial; she hastily pulled her hands away and stormed out of the room.

Jackson handed the paddles back to the nurse as he watches April walk away.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson has been looking for April for over an hour now but he can't seem to find her; he knew that she was upset about losing her patient that's why she's hiding. He already tried the tunnels, the Attending's Lounge even the rooftop like what Lexie suggested but it was all for naught. He shoved his hands inside his lab coat pocket and just decided to give her space; he was about to make his way towards the Burn Unit when he noticed a lone figure sitting on a gurney beside the window. He narrowed his eyes and instantly recognized his best friend's auburn hair; he let out sigh of relief and hastily made his way towards her.

April felt someone standing beside her and she automatically knew who it was; she shook her head gently and let out sigh. "I don't know why this one is hitting me hard-I don't even know her"

Jackson sat down beside April but said nothing.

April continued staring ahead, not even sparing Jackson a glance; "It's not supposed to happen this way-it's not right" she said while wiping the tears that ran down her cheeks.

Jackson braised his hands on the bed and leaned back quietly, lending ear-being what she needs.

April began tugging on her hands before turning her face sideways; "I can't tell him-I can't tell him-Uh-I can't make him feel worse just 'cause I feel bad"

Jackson sat straight and faced April; "I'll do it" he offered.

April shook her head; "No-no, I'll do it-I can do it-I just..." she paused when she felt a lump forming in her throat. "I need a minute..." she croaked.

"Okay" Jackson replied.

April tried to hold it together but it was just too much for her; heart breaking sobs escaped her lips as fresh batch of tears fell down her cheeks. She leaned towards Jackson and buried her face into the crook of his neck.

"Hey-" Jackson said before lifting his arm and wrapping it around April's shoulders. He pulled her closer to his side and began rubbing her arms up and down, trying his best to comfort her.

April cried harder.

Jackson leaned his cheek on April's head as he closes his eyes; he really hates seeing her like this-so helpless and broken.

April choked on her sob so she slowly pulled away; she didn't anticipate Jackson's face to be close to hers so she froze.

Jackson turned his face towards April and his eyes automatically fell on her lips; he swallowed hard before shifting his gaze to her eyes. He felt his breath hitch in his throat when he saw unbridled emotions swirling in her hazel eyes and in that very unlikely and unexpected moment-he finally understood what Mark meant-what he's been running away from for so long.

"Hey-"

April and Jackson immediately pulled away from each other and turned towards the voice.

Alex threw his friends a rueful look; "I was-uh-coming to give the mom an update on her baby, Elyse Cruse"

April stared at Alex a saddened look before bowing her head.

Jackson threw April a concerned look before turning his gaze to the Ped's Fellow; "Yeah-she didn't-um-she didn't make it. We were gonna go tell the husband now,"

"No-I was, I was, I will-I just-I need a minute" April interjected before wiping her cheeks.

Jackson turned towards April and sighed.

"I just have to pull myself together" April said before bowing her head again, trying her best to gather herself again.

Alex stared at his distraught friend; "Chest Peckwell's name's on the file, you want me to make him do it?"

April lifted head just as Jackson turned his eyes to Alex; "Yeah" they said in unison.

Alex sighed; "You okay?"

April nodded.

Alex stared at April for a couple of seconds before spinning on his heels and walking away.

April turned her eyes towards Jackson and let out a sad smile; "Thank you..."

Jackson took a deep breath; "You're welcome" he said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Have you seen Chest Peckwell? I've been paging him for 10 minutes now and that douche bag is not responding" Alex said with a scowl.

Lexie tore her eyes away from her tab; "Nope, why are you looking for him anyway?"

Alex's scowl instantly vanished; "I need him to tell April's patient's husband that his wife did not make it" he said with a sigh.

"Where's April?" Lexie asked with a concerned look.

"She's with Avery"

Lexie's eyes widen; "Jackson?"

Alex nodded; "Yep, she was crying again and Pretty boy was comforting her"

"Oh"

"Yep," Alex replied. He then peered behind Lexie's back and saw a familiar figure entering the pit; he narrowed his eyes and scowled. "There he is, see you later Little Grey" he said before storming towards the other doctor.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson's shift just ended and he's about ready to go; he already checked in on April but she told him that she cannot leave the hospital yet, so now, here he is-nursing a glass of whiskey at Joe's. Today has been emotionally taxing for the both of them albeit in different ways; his unexpected realization by just looking into her eyes shook him to him to his very core. The moment was inappropriate, the timing was imperfect but the feeling was indescribable, beyond what he expected. It's as if the dark fog clouding his eyes suddenly dissipated into nothing and he was able to see clearly-for the first time. He doesn't have the slightest idea how the realization happened though, it kinda sprung on him out of the blue. Maybe it was her eyes? Peering into them—even for a just a brief second, made him see a glimpse of how much emotion she carries. Maybe it was her tears? Seeing them showed him how much compassion she's capable of. Maybe it was her lips? Hearing the words _love_ and _you_ in the same sentence might have done the trick. Or maybe it was just _all _of her; her fragile strength, her neurotic rants, her infamous metaphors-man, he can go on for hours. He let out a small smile before grabbing his glass; he took a sip of his drink and he didn't even mind the bitter taste. Mark was right-he needs to admit his feelings and learn to say it out loud just like what April did _but_ before he does that, he needs to settle the score with Sadie first and that's something he's not looking forward to.

* * *

"_**Slowly, gently, choosing me will make me then you're one and only, I pray that our love will begin. 'Cause I'm scared to death, now that I'm losing you, I'm scared to death, knowing I can't get through. I'm scared to death, living this so lonely life without you. I'm scared to death, falling in love with you, I'm scared to death, there's nothing that I can do. I'm scared to death, what if you won't be around anymore..."**_

* * *

It has only been a week after the tanker explosion and Jackson is still in stalemate; he tried several times to break if off with Sadie but every time he's close to actually doing it she says and does nice things that makes him feel guilty-resulting to him chickening out. He told Mark his predicament to seek advice and his mentor already gave him an earful; the older surgeon even offered to do it for him if he can't grow balls, he declined of course-he's a decent guy after all.

"Did you already do it?"

Jackson tore his eyes away from his tab; "It's not that easy" he replied.

Mark leaned on the nurses' station sideways and crossed his arms; "In other words you chickened out-_again" _he said.

"I'm possibly breaking someone's heart, there's no easy way to do it" Jackson said defensively.

"You didn't have any trouble breaking Kepner's heart"

Jackson glared at his mentor; "That was not on purpose."

Mark pulled away from his perch and lifted his hands in mock surrender; "Just saying" he said.

"I'm doing it tonight, okay? I'm ending it" Jackson said.

"You're breaking up with her in the middle of a storm? Seriously?"

"I don't want to prolong this anymore because I already stalled multiple times-I can't continue lying and pretending that I'm happy with her when I know for a fact that I want to be with someone else. It's not fair to her, for me and certainly not for April-so yes, I'm doing it in the middle of the storm and nobody will stop me this time."

Mark stared at Jackson for a couple of seconds before a large approving grin appeared on his lips; "About time you grow some balls"

Jackson can't help but crack a smile.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was just coming from the parking lot when she noticed a truck parked near the ambulance bay; she briskly walked towards it and saw her mentor barking orders to the maintenance crew.

"Make sure that's covered and make sure we have plenty of those" Owen said while pointing towards the sand bags.

"What is all this?" April asked while eyeing the bags.

Owen turned towards April; "Weather reports say a massive storm is coming, hurricane force winds and heavy rain-they say its three days out" he explained.

"So we have time to prepare then?" April asked.

"Exactly" Owen replied. He then lifted his hand and wiggled a handbook; "So for the E.R. we're gonna need to overstock supplies and blood products. Let's get ready for double capacity intakes-that means extra beds and gurneys in the hallways."

April accepted the handbook and began perusing it; "Okay"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Do you know what this meeting is for?" Lexie asked as she sidled up beside her sister.

Meredith turned her head sideways; "Did you come home last night?"

Lexie met Meredith's eyes; "Nope, I slept at Mark's" she replied.

"Okay" Meredith replied. "Owen has an announcement about the storm or something"

"I see-here he comes" Lexie said before shifting her eyes to the Chief of Surgery.

Owen took his place on the stairs and stood right in front of his colleagues; "As you all know, there's a storm coming and this will bring in a lot of casualties. We're gonna need to make room for them, so let's discharge all patients that can be discharged. Post ops and long term patients are gonna be transferred to Seattle Pres further inland. We're gonna bring in supplementals; water food, meds, lighting and we're gonna be checking and refuelling the backup generators. As for you surgeons, push, postpone or cancel all elective procedures until after the storm. If you have any questions, please feel free to approach me-that will be all, thanks" he said before stepping down.

"That was fast" Lexie said.

Meredith wrinkled her nose; "I hate postponing surgeries, I have 2 scheduled surgeries for today and it looks like it's gonna be cancelled."

Derek leaned forward and planted a kiss on his wife's temple; "You're 3 weeks shy of your due date, this is a good thing" he said.

Meredith narrowed her eyes at her husband; "I'm pregnant, not disabled"

Lexie cringed; she slowly took a step back before bolting away.

"Coward!" Derek called out.

Meredith turned to her side and saw that her sister's gone; she shifted her eyes back to Derek and scowled. "Great! I'm gonna ask her to buy me a doughnut but now she's gone and it's your fault!"

Derek smiled; "I'll buy you a doughnut" he offered.

Meredith hastily spun on her heels started walking towards the direction Lexie disappeared to; "I don't want you to buy my doughnut, I want Lexie's doughnut" she said petulantly.

Derek watched Meredith waddle away before shaking his head in amusement.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Clear the hallways for cots, people will come looking for shelter" April said as she walks briskly towards the E.R doors.

"How bad can this be?" Leah asked as she trails behind her Attending.

April threw her intern a look; "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, right?" she said. She then stopped right in front of the ambulance; "What do we got?"

"39 year old construction worker, wind blew him off the building, fell four stories to impale himself on 3 bars of standing rebar" The EMT said as he pulls the patient's gurney.

April leaned forward and winced upon seeing her patient's condition.

"Minimal blood loss on the scene, maintaining airway" The EMT reported.

"Okay, let's go" April replied before tugging on the gurney.

"Please let his name be Bob" Leah murmured as she began guiding the gurney.

April stared at Leah confusedly; "Why?"

Leah turned her face towards April; "_Shiska_-Bob"

April glared as a response.

"My name is Leon" The patient croaked.

"The patient's awake and responsive" The EMT said with a scowl.

Leah's eyes widen; "Oh my god, I'm so sorry"

April scowled, clearly not impressed with her intern; "Get him to the O.R and order for an XRAY. Page Grey and Torres" she ordered sternly.

"Right away Dr. Kepner" Leah replied.

"Kepner!"

April lagged behind when she heard her name being called; she turned around and was surprised to see her mentor walking towards her. "What's your case?"

April bit her bottom lip to stifle her excited smile; "Human _Shiska-bob"_

Owens' eyes widen; "That's a big case"

"Yep!"

"A big case you can show the AMA you can handle" Owen said with a knowing look.

"Exactly, I'm gonna crush them this year" April said confidently.

Owen chuckled; "Operate away. Page me if you need me to tug you out when things got hairy" he said.

April grinned; "No need for that but I'll keep that in mind" she said.

"Go!"

April didn't need to be told twice; she quickly spun on her heels and run towards the elevators.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You boys ready for our surgery?" Arizona asked as she enters the scrub room.

Mark turned his face towards Arizona and smiled; "We are, the question is are you?"

Arizona walked towards the sink and switched on the faucet; "You better make my kid look good or I'll strangle you two" she playfully warned.

"You'll never even notice that kid went into facial reconstruction after we're done" Mark said confidently. He then turned his gaze towards his prot; "Right?"

Jackson turned his head sideways and smiled at Arizona; "Right"

Arizona chuckled at her friend's cheekiness.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"So everything is quite intact however that won't be the case once we pull the bars off" Meredith said while eyeing their patient.

April cocked her head to the side while studying the bars; "We need to cut it as close to the body as possible so it won't cause more damage when we pull it out" she said. She then shifted her gaze towards her intern; "Try the cutter Murphy" she ordered.

"I don't think that'll do the trick" Callie said while staring at the cutter.

Leah stepped beside the O.R. table and tried her luck; after a couple of seconds, she pulled the cutter away. "This won't do the trick"

Meredith heard the patient speak lowly so she leaned forward; she listened to his instructions before shifting her eyes to Leah. She repeated the exact information Leon told her and met Leah's gaze; "Understand?"

Leah nodded before hastily walking towards the door.

"Don't walk Murphy, run!" Callie said.

"I'm so glad you can make it, we needed some extra hands. Thank you" Owen said.

Ben pushed on the elevator button before turning towards Owen; "Don't mention it. I have nothing to do at home anyway, my wife is here and Tuck is with his Dad" he replied.

Owen gestured towards the elevator and waited for Ben to step in first before following; when he spun around he saw one of their interns walking briskly with one of the maintenance crew who's carrying a cutter. He furrowed his brows and placed his hand on the door frame; "Murphy what are you doing?"

Leah halted her steps and turned towards Owen; "Kepner needed something to cut the bars and this is the only one who can do the trick" she explained.

"Oh, okay, go" Owen said.

Leah nodded and resumed her pace.

Owen turned around to face Ben when the door closed behind them; he furrowed his brows while in thought.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Ben asked.

"Crap!" Owen cussed as he began punching on the elevator buttons.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April felt tired but none the less fulfilled; they were able to save Leon's life and the outlook is looking quite good.

"Guess what I did today?"

April placed a box of medicine on the top shelve before turning towards the voice; she let out a small smile upon seeing an excited Jackson walking towards her. "What?"

"Sloan let me take a lead on a facial reconstruction surgery, I'm the _primary_ surgeon" Jackson said giddily.

April's eyes widen in surprise; "Wow-that's your first right?" she asked.

"The very first and Sloan said it won't be the last, he's quite impressed with my graft" Jackson said proudly.

April smiled; "I always knew you'd be a great surgeon, congrats" she said sincerely.

Jackson felt a tug on his heartstring upon hearing her say those words; April had always been supportive of his career choice and she never fails to remind him that he'd be great with it. He shifted closer to the shelves before smiling fondly at the red head; "Thank you. Hearing you say those words means a lot to me" he said seriously.

April smiled turned playful; "Just don't let it get to your head, we don't want you turning into those pompous big shot Plastic Surgeons in Hollywood"

Jackson can't help but laugh at her statement, after a moment he cocked his head to the side; "How about you? How's your day? Anything interesting came to the pit?" he asked.

April grabbed another box of medicine from the box and resumed her stacking; "Yep. A human _Shika-bob _came in" she replied nonchalantly.

Jackson's eyes widen; "_Shiska-bob?"_

April nodded; "Yep. He fell from a construction site and managed to impale himself on a rebar that happened to save his life"

Jackson cringed before grabbing himself a box, helping her with her chores; "That must've been messy" he said.

April chuckled; "It was, we almost blew up your O.R"

Jackson paused and furrowed his brows; "Huh?"

"We didn't know that sparks from grinding metal combined with oxygen can cause an explosion, it was a good thing that Owen and Ben caught us early"

Jackson let out a relieved sigh.

April turned her head to the side and smirked; "You're hospital's safe" she teased.

Jackson wrinkled his nose; "I'm not worried about this hospital" he paused and stared at April seriously; "I was worried about you"

April felt her heart skip a beat; she felt her cheeks flush so she hastily averted her gaze. She cleared her throat and grabbed another box; "Err-okay" she said, clearly flustered.

Jackson can't help but grin upon seeing the flush on the red head's cheek; "_Just give me a couple of more hours Apes-I'm almost there" _he thought.

* * *

oOo

* * *

It was almost dusk when the storm started surging; the hospital is now bustling with patients and all the Attending's seems to be having emergency surgeries left and right. Meredith and Derek's baby also deemed that it's the right time to meet the world so right after she got kicked off from April's surgery, Derek Mark Shepherd was born.

"A couple of people are asking for blankets" Leah said as she passes by Jackson.

"One blanket per person, that's it" Jackson said as he walks away.

"Matthew! What are you doing here?" April asked as she passes by Jackson, seeing her paramedic friend.

"My rig is still down in Pike's Street, it won't start. Nicole and I had to walk all the way here" Matthew replied.

April stared at Matthew's soaked form; "Do you want some towels to dry yourself?"

Matthew smiled; "How can I help?" he asked.

"Go grab some blankets" Owen replied when he heard Matthew's question.

Matthew nodded; "Okay-Err-Can you tell Steph that I'm here if you happen to see her? She thinks I'm still in the rig" he said.

April smiled; "Of course but let go get you a towel first"

Matthew smiled again; "Thanks"

April was leading Matthew towards the supply closet but halted her steps when she heard loud screeching tires; she turned her head sideways-just in time to see a huge bus topple over right outside the window. "Oh god"

"Move people!" Owen shouted loudly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Where's Cristina?" Meredith asked groggily.

Derek stopped cooing at the baby boy in his arms and shifted his gaze to his wife; "She's doing a heart surgery with Webber" he replied.

Meredith scrunched her face; "She's doing a heart surgery in the middle of the storm?" she asked.

"The patient is a casualty from the storm" Derek explained.

"I see-where's Lexie?" Meredith asked.

"She's at the pit with Mark, they're helping out"

Meredith sighed; "Is everything alright down there?"

Derek moved closer to the bed and sat down; "Everything is okay, don't worry about it"

Meredith shifted in her bed and closed her eyes; "I'm gonna take a nap, I'm tired"

Derek chuckled; "You just gave birth to our baby boy, of course you're tired"

"Does Mark know you named our son after him?"

"No, I haven't told anyone yet" Derek replied.

Meredith let out a tired chuckle; "Mark will have a field day"

Derek smiled; "Be ready to eat his new creations because he'll be baking more cakes once he finds out" he joked.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Hurry! I smell gas!" April yelled as she wheeled her patient briskly away from the crash site.

"There's a fuel leak somewhere" Matthew replied.

"We have to get everyone away from this" Jackson shouted before hefting himself up the bus and sliding inside the door.

"Set up an emergency triage and take the Med's out, Bailey can you do this?" Owen asked.

"I'm on it!" Miranda replied before running towards the hospital.

"We gotta move! This thing's gonna blow!" Callie yelled.

Mark turned towards the bus; "Avery! Hurry up!" he called out before ushering his charge away.

Jackson appeared from the door; "I've got one more, she's stuck inside" he said before disappearing again.

Owen climbed up the bus and slid inside; he navigated towards the other surgeon and saw a woman stuck under a bus seat.

"I'm gonna try to lift this thing, you pull her out" Jackson said.

Owen bend forward; "On the count of three, okay?"

Jackson secured his hands on the broken piece of metal; "1—2-3" he said before lifting it with all his might.

Owen was able to pull the patient out successfully; "She's out" he said.

Jackson slowly lowered the seat back and let out a sigh of relief.

"I can't feel my legs, I don't think I can walk"

Jackson started looking around for a much closer exit but couldn't find any; he tilted his head and saw a glass window just above the patient. He threw Owen a look before bending down and grabbing himself a steel bar; "Ma'am I'm gonna need you to cover your eyes okay?" he said.

Owen pulled the patient to his chest and covered her frail form with his body; he nodded at Jackson before lowering his head.

Jackson jabbed the steel towards the glass and it easily gave away; he made sure that all of the glass shards are gone from the frame before turning his gaze back to Owen. "There"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You okay?" Richard asked as he steps into the scrub room.

Cristina turned her head sideways; "That was-" she paused and turned to face Richard fully. "You made me a better doctor tonight, Dr. Webber, thank you" she said with sincerity.

Richard walked towards the sink and smiled; "You're welcome"

Cristina smiled back; "I'm gonna go check on Meredith, she delivered our baby just an hour ago"

"Grey's having a baby, well what do you know" Richard said with a surprised look.

"In the middle of the storm" Cristina said.

Richard chuckled.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Move fast, this thing is a ticking time bomb" Owen said as he tugs on the side railing of the gurney.

"My baby-I need to find my baby" The patient cried.

Jackson turned his eyes back to the bus and began checking it again; he narrowed his eyes upon seeing a pink shoe lying near the bus' rear end.

"I'm quite sure your baby is already in there Ma'am" Lexie said as she began pulling on the gurney.

Owen turned his head to the side when he smelled something burning; his eyes widen when saw flames starting up. "We gotta get out of here, there's an open flame" he said while pushing on the gurney.

Lexie nodded and began carting it in a fast pace.

"Where is Jackson?" April asked while running towards them.

"He's right behind us" Owen replied.

"He's not!" April said loudly.

Mark shot up from his perch and began checking the vicinity for his prot; "He's not there"

"He was right behind us" Owen replied.

"Yeah, I saw him too" Lexie confirmed.

April felt her heart beating erratically upon seeing that the whole bus is already lit up with fire. She took a step forward and tried her best to look for her best friend.

"Is that Jackson?" Callie yelled while pointing towards the rear end of the burning vehicle.

"Avery! Come back here!" Owen shouted loudly.

April shifted her gaze to the direction that Callie is pointing at and felt dread surge inside her chest upon seeing his crouched form, trying to pull something out of the bus.

"Avery!" Callie called again.

April felt her feet moving even before she was able to think.

"APRIL!" Lexie yelled loudly.

Mark moved in lightning speed and was able to catch up with April even before she made it far; he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back to his chest-just in time before the bus exploded.

April felt herself toppling backwards and falling down to the wet pavement; she hastily pushed Mark away and pulled herself up. She saw debris scattered everywhere and felt horror surge inside her chest; "Jackson!" she yelled as tears cloud her eyes. "Jackson!"

Mark pulled himself of the ground and tried placing his hands on April's shoulder to calm the red head down.

April shrugged off Mark's hands and began shaking her head in denial; "Nooooooo! Noooooooo! You can't die! You promised!" she sobbed brokenly.

Mark shifted closer to April and pulled the distraught surgeon to his chest; he forcefully turned her around from the scene and wrapped her into a tight hug.

April began beating Mark on the back; "Noooooo! He promised-he told me he won't leave me...Noooooo!" she whimpered.

Mark gritted his teeth to control his emotions; "Calm down...Shhhhhh" he whispered.

"Is that Avery?" Owen suddenly said.

Mark switched his eyes back to the scene and saw someone emerging from the flames; he felt relief surge into his chest when he saw Jackson walking towards them, a little girl safely tucked into his arms. "Kepner..." he said softly.

April cannot understand Mark's words so she just buried her face into his chest while she whimpers; it's over-Jackson is gone. He left her too and she didn't even get the chance to tell him she loves him for the last time-he's gone.

"April" Mark said a little louder.

April shook her head as she continues to cry; "He's gone-he left me...Jackson's gone" she repeated hoarsely.

"He's alive and he's walking towards us" Mark said gently.

April pulled her face away from Mark's chest and lifted her tearstain face towards him; "W-what?" she asked shakily.

Mark slowly pulled away from April and turned her around to show her.

April felt a mixture of relief, love and anger swell inside her chest; she choked back a sob and stared at her best friend in shock.

Jackson walked passed them without a word and made a bee line towards the gurney; he gently placed the little girl in her mother's waiting arms before wincing.

Mark noticed April's reaction so he took it upon himself to start steering her towards the hospital.

Lexie saw the blank look on April's face so she hastily walked towards her.

Mark threw Lexie a look before nodding subtly.

Lexie automatically pried April away from her fiancé's arm and pulled her into a tight hug; "It's okay Apes-he's alright" he whispered.

April buried her face into Lexie's neck and began crying again.

Mark turned towards Jackson and saw his injuries; "Let's get you fixed" he said. He then threw Callie a look before he began steering his prot towards the door.

"April-" Jackson protested.

Mark shook his head; "Not now, give her time, she's in shock"

Callie began pushing Jackson towards the door; "Mark is right-give her time"

Jackson let out a defeated sigh.

Lexie wrapped a towel on April's shoulder before handing her a paper cup filled with water; "Drink this" she ordered.

April wiped her cheeks with her hands before accepting the cup; "T—thanks" she rasped out.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Lexie sat beside her friend and stared at her cautiously; "Are you feeling okay now?"

April emptied the cup and placed it haphazardly beside her; she took a deep calming breath before turning her face towards Lexie. "I thought I lost him-he could've died"

Lexie cringed; "Yeah but he's alive-and he saved a little girl's life"

April turned her face away and stared ahead; "He could've died" she repeated. She then hastily hopped off the gurney and yanked the towel off her shoulders; "He could've died" she said more forcefully before storming away.

Lexie jumped out of the gurney and followed her friend; "April!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"That was heroic but idiotic at the same time" Mark said as cleans the wound on Jackson's forehead.

Jackson winced; "I just can't leave the kid behind" he replied.

"You should've asked for help instead of doing it alone" Callie said in a reprimanding tone.

"I didn't need to, I got it" Jackson replied.

Callie rolled her eyes as she turns toward the nurse; "Hand that arm sling" she instructed.

"I don't need an arm sling" Jackson said petulantly.

Callie grabed the sling and turned towards Jackson; "Are you an Orthopedic Surgeon?" she asked.

"No" Jackson replied.

"Shut up then" Callie replied.

Jackson was about to respond but wasn't able to when April appeared out of nowhere and began hitting him on the chest, he wasn't able to move both from shock and the pain.

"You could've died! I could've lost you!" April said hysterically.

Mark rolled his eyes and shifted behind the tiny red head; he wrapped his arms around her waist and yanked her away. "Stop beating the man for goodness sake, he's injured"

April ignored Mark's words and stared at Jackson with a mixture of fear and anger; "You could've died! You promised me!"

Jackson understood where April coming from so he tried his best to smile; "I'm okay-I didn't die...I'm still here" he said soothingly.

"I think you should take a walk Kepner, cool it down" Callie suggested.

April stared at Jackson for a moment before wriggling out of Mark's arms; she spun on her heels and stormed away.

Mark placed his hands on his hips and stared at Jackson; "See what I mean when I said idiotic?" he said before turning on his heel and following April.

Jackson let out a defeated sigh; "I was not thinking-I know, stop beating the dead horse"

Callie shook her head before gently lifting his arm to his chest; "Hold it there for a second" she instructed. She then adjusted the strap on sling before shifting her eyes to Jackson; "She ran after you, you know?"

Jackson bowed his head and stared at his lap.

Callie shifted closer to Jackson gently placed his arm inside the sling; "If Mark wasn't able to grab her in time, she might've been hurt"

"I did the right thing Callie-I couldn't let that little girl die" Jackson said.

Callie secured the sling before meeting Jackson's eyes; "I know and it was the right thing to do. Give her some time to digest it, she'll come around" she said. She then took a step back and smiled; "A woman who runs towards a burning bus to look for a man she cares for-is a woman worth keeping. Keep that in mind Avery, stop wasting more time" she said before walking away. "Stay there for a couple of hours, you're not allowed to move"

"But-"

"No buts!" Callie called out.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Kepner!"

April halted in her steps and spun around; "What?"

Mark jogged towards the red head and stopped right in front of her; "You okay?"

April wiped her cheeks angrily; "I'm fine" she said while averting her eyes.

"What he did was idiotic because he could've died; I'm on your side with that. However you couldn't discount the fact that he saved a little girl's life. He's a doctor and he took an oath; his doctor instincts kicked in at the moment that's why he didn't think of himself-cut him some slack, he didn't mean to scare you" Mark said seriously.

April wiped her cheeks again before meeting Mark's gaze; "I know that-it's just-" she trailed off.

Mark let out a small comforting smile; "You don't have to explain anything to me because I know exactly what you felt, plane crash victim, remember?"

April let out a deep sigh before nodding.

"Callie is right, take a walk to calm down. Go talk to him once you're ready, I'm sure he wants to see you"

"Okay"

"Good girl"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find Dr. Avery?" Sadie asked.

Miranda tore her eyes away from her patient's charts; she studied the beautiful brunette woman standing right in front of her and raised her brow. "And you are?"

Sadie smile shyly; "I'm Sadie Allen-Jackson's girlfriend"

Miranda's eyes widen; "Oh" she gasped.

Sadie tucked her hair behind her ear; "I was supposed to meet him tonight but he never showed up, I called his office and his assistant told me he's here-so I opted to come here" she explained.

"I see" Miranda replied. She then took a side step when he saw Callie walking along the hallways; "Torres!" she called loudly.

Callie turned her head to the side and saw Miranda beckoning her forward; she made her way to her and stopped beside Sadie. "Yep?"

Miranda gestured towards Sadie; "Avery's girlfriend is here-she's looking for him. Do you know where he is?"

Callie turned to face Sadie and began looking at her from head to foot; "You're Sadie?" she asked after a moment.

Sadie chuckled nervously, clearly not used to being stared at; "Y-yes"

Callie nodded before shifting her gaze towards Miranda; "I got her, I'll take her to Jackson. Webber is looking for you, something about the Meds" she said.

"Okay" Miranda said before turning around.

Callie placed her hands on her hips; "I'll take you to him then" she said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was resting his eyes when he heard the curtains open; "I'm good, no need for meds" he said.

"Are you really alright?"

Jackson's eyes snapped open upon hearing the familiar voice; "A—april" he said before trying his best to sit up.

April yanked the curtain close and walked towards the foot of the bed; she stared at Jackson's injuries and felt a tightening feeling inside her chest. "I'm sorry"

Jackson stared at April confusedly; "Sorry for what?"

"For hitting you awhile ago" April replied.

Jackson let out a small smile; "I deserved it"

April shook her head; "You didn't-you saved a little girl's life, I was being stupid"

Jackson stared at April for a moment; "Come here" he said.

April shook her head again; "I can't"

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Why?"

"I just can't-I don't want to hurt you further"

"I'm really okay April, you won't hurt me" Jackson said.

April bit her bottom lip as tears pool in her eyes again; "I want you Jackson-I love you"

Jackson's eyes widen in shock, clearly not expecting this.

April swallowed back a sob; "When that bus exploded and I thought you were gone-I lost it."

"April I-"

"I know you don't want me that way I want you but I just have to let you know that I meant what I said the last time we talked. When I thought you-you died I thought I wouldn't have the chance to say that to you again-but now-now that you're okay and alive-I want to make sure you hear it-that you know it's true"

"April I-"

"You don't have to say anything back-I just want you to know how I felt and that I'm proud of what you've done-Mark was right, it was heroic" April said with a small smile.

Jackson felt his heart swell with so much love for this woman standing right in front of him but he can't help but be annoyed with her too because she keeps cutting him off. "Are you done?" he asked.

April felt her heart drop to her stomach upon hearing the tone of his voice; she gnashed her teeth together, silently braising herself for another round of rejection.

Jackson sat straighter on the bed; "Listen I-"

"Jackson! Oh god!"

Jackson's head snapped towards the side and saw Sadie standing by the curtains; he sucked in a mouthful of breath as he cursed mentally. "H-hey"

Sadie made a bee line towards the bed and gently cupped her beau's face; "Are you alright? What happened?" she asked with worry.

"I'm fine" Jackson replied.

Sadie trailed her hands towards Jackson's neck and pulled him into hug; "I was so worried" she murmured.

April felt like she's been dozed with cold water upon seeing the scene right in front of her; "_Damn it! How can you forget that he's in a relationship?" _she thought. She subtly bowed her head and hastily wiped at her eyes; she took a step back cleared her throat. "Err-I'll leave you two alone" she said.

Jackson's eyes snapped towards April, his eyes widening in panic;_ "Shit" _he thought. He pried Sadie's hands away from him; "April-wait!" he said.

April ignored Jackson and spun on her heels; "Get well soon Jackson, see you around" she called out behind her shoulder.

"Crap!" Jackson cursed.

Sadie pulled away and sat by Jackson's bedside; "What?" she asked, clearly confused with his outburst.

Jackson saw Callie shook her head behind the curtain before walking away; he shifted his eyes back to Sadie and took a deep breath. "We need to talk"

* * *

_**A/N: And I'm just getting started here people! ^-^ Soooooo-what do you guys think? Did I do justice with the storm? I had fun writing this very long chapter and I'm quite sure I'll enjoy writing the next since it'll be all me! LOL. Tell me what you guys think-leave a comment! Cheers! ^-^**_


	10. Hurt

**Chapter Ten: Hurt**

* * *

"_**Seems like it was yesterday when I saw your face, you told me how proud you were but I walked away. If only I knew what I know today..."**_

* * *

It's a common saying that there will always be a rainbow after the rain; but does that apply to a storm too?

"Maybe we should get started?" Owen asked.

"But Jackson isn't here yet" Meredith said while eyeing the people inside her room.

"He's been a hero last night; he dislocated his shoulder saving a kid from a bus crash" Mark said while coddling his godson.

"What bus crash?" Meredith asked.

Arizona threw Meredith a confused look; "You didn't know?"

"She had a baby, she doesn't know things" Cristina said.

"What happened?" Meredith asked.

"A church was evacuating some people and their bus overturned" Lexie explained.

"Good news is everyone survived and there are no major injuries" Owen supplied.

"And bad news?" Richard asked.

Owen shoved his hands inside his lab coat pocket; "The blood bank is flooded and the E.R looks like it was ransacked."

"So we need to close the E.R?" Derek asked.

"We're dangerously low on meds and personnel can't make it due to flooding" Owen explained.

Cristina crossed her arms on top of her chest; "So we really need to close the E.R"

"Can we do that?" Mark asked.

"You are the board and I'm telling you that the E.R cannot open today" Owen said.

"What do we need? I can try to coordinate with suppliers" Meredith said.

Derek turned to his wife with a raised brow.

Meredith rolled her eyes; "I had a baby, I'm not dead"

Owen nodded; "That's a good idea, if they have it then we want it but for the mean time, let's make sure that our inpatients are taken care of and discharge who we can"

"Like me" Meredith said.

"You just had a C-section which is considered as a major surgery, you're staying" Lexie said.

"Hey guys, sorry if I was late" Jackson said from the door.

"You look terrible Pretty Boy" Cristina said while eyeing Jackson.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "What did I miss?" he asked, ignoring the Cardio Surgeon's jab.

"We're closing the E.R today, we're low on supplies" Mark said.

Jackson cocked his head to the side; "Can we do that?"

"Apparently we can" Derek said.

"Okay then," Jackson replied.

Owen open his mouth to speak but wasn't able to do so when pagers started beeping simultaneously; he plucked his from his pocket and read the message. He furrowed his brows and shifted his eyes to the other surgeons inside the room; "Did you receive a page from Kepner?" he asked.

"Yeah, 911 at the pit" Arizona said.

Jackson swallowed hard upon hearing April's name; he checked his pager and furrowed his brows when he saw that he didn't get one.

Mark noticed the disappointed look on his prot's face so he walked towards Meredith; he gently placed the baby back into his mother's arm and made his way towards the other surgeon.

"Let's see what's going on down there then," Richard said.

Mark sidled up beside Jackson and shifted closer; "She knows you're still indisposed, don't take it to heart" he whispered.

Jackson turned his head to the side; "It's done" he said lowly.

Mark's eyes widen; "You and Sadie-"

"Yes, we're done" Jackson replied.

"How did she take it?" Mark asked curiously.

Jackson winced; "She cried but she said that we're good" he replied.

Mark let out a relieved sigh; "Good, I thought she'd bitch slap you"

Jackson can't help but chuckle; "Expect for the worst and hope for the best" he said.

Mark grinned; "Exactly"

"Are you guys done having your _moment_?" Lexie asked.

Mark turned towards his fiancé and placed his arm around her shoulders; "Come on love, let's go down to the pit and see what Kepner needs" he said jovially.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Kepner what's going on here? We're closed to incoming Traumas" Owen said.

"Tell that to them, there was a mudslide in Madrona. A bunch of cops and fire fighters got hurt during evacuations. There are also bunch of civilian casualties as well" April explained.

"What about Seattle Pres?" Richard asked.

"They're worse off than we are" Owen interjected.

"All right, let's do this" Callie said.

Owen turned towards his surgeon's and interns; "Get me every suture kit, laceration tray, foley and test tube that you can"

"Lenny Shulte, a captain ladder company, 54. Unconscious at the scene with G.C.S of 13, BP's been constantly dropping. Last was 85 over 60" The EMT said.

"I-can't get a good breath" The patient croaked.

"Increase his O2 to 10 litres" Owen instructed. He then began examining the patient's chest; "Can you tell me if something fell on you or your chest?"

"I don't know" Lenny replied. "The last thing I remember, I was helping an old lady out of her house, did she make it?"

"I'll check" Owen replied.

The patient shuddered and started coughing out mud.

"Turn him to his side" Owen said while pulling him. "It looks like he aspirated mud, let's get him to Trauma Room 1, let's get a chest XRAY and start him on antibiotics, Kepner can you handle this?"

"Yes Chief" April replied.

"Take him away then" Owen said.

April nodded and began pushing the gurney away.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I was walking towards the car and suddenly the hillside just goes and I'm falling. I see my squad car coming down on top of me so I managed to roll out of the way but my leg was caught under it, can you salvage it?"

"I think so, we'll get Ortho down here" Mark said. He then pointed towards the wound on the patient's neck; "I'm gonna take a look at that nasty laceration on your neck, though, it has a lot of embedded debris" he said. He started cleaning the wound and narrowed his eyes upon noticing some discoloration around the area; he cleared his throat and turned around. "Dr. Avery?" he called out.

Jackson tore his eyes away from the patient's chart; "Yes?"

"Come here for a second" Mark said.

Jackson placed the chart at the foot of the bed and walked towards his mentor.

Mark smiled at his patient; "Sasha, this is Dr. Avery and he's a colleague" he said.

Sasha let out a pained smile as an acknowledgement.

"Can you take a look at her wound?" Mark said as he shifted away from the side of the bed, giving the other surgeon space.

"Certainly" Jackson replied. He then leaned forward and began inspecting it; after a moment, he shifted his eyes back to Mark and subtly nodded.

"We're gonna need to take some culture from your wound, there's a little discoloration surrounding it, just to be on the safe side" Mark explained.

"Whatever you think is best Doc" Sasha replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Give me an update here Kepner" Owen said as he enters the Trauma Room.

April turned towards the nurse and shoved her hand inside a surgical glove; "Captain Shulte has decreased breath sounds on the right, worsening tachypnea and persistent SATs in the 80's-took me forever to find a chest tube" she replied. She then turned towards the patient and began prepping the patient's chest; "Okay Lenny, something in your chest cavity's preventing you from breathing well so we're gonna insert a chest tube which should help you breath better. Is there anyone that we can call for you?" she asked.

"Call my wife-Marla"

Owen shifted closer to the table with a large syringe in his hand; "You're gonna feel a little nip, okay?" he said.

"Okay"

Owen injected the anesthetics to the patient's chest before turning towards April; "Insert the chest tube" he instructed.

April nodded; she then shifted towards the patient and began her work. Once she's in, she connected the tubes and felt her eyes widen upon seeing dark liquid oozing from the patient's chest; "Chief, I think there's a diaphragmatic rupture, his colon has been pushed up into his chest."

Owen winced; "The risk of infection is extremely high, we're gonna need to open him up" he said. "He's gonna need an XRAY and prep him for surgery-I'm gonna scrub in with you"

"Alright" April replied.

Owen turned towards the nurse; "Tell Bailey to man the E.R while Kepner and I are in surgery" he ordered.

"Right away Chief" The nurse replied.

"Let's get going then" April said while tugging on the side railing.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Did you get the results back?" Jackson asked.

Mark sighed; "Yes and its Necrotizing Fasciitis. I need to get her up to surgery right away" he said.

Jackson cringed; "How did she get that?"

"It must be the water from the mud that she got stuck in, it's a breathing ground for those suckers"

"Need a hand?" Jackson asked.

Mark eyed his student's arm sling; "You sure you can handle it?"

Jackson rolled his eyes before taking off his sling; "Torres is just over reacting, my shoulder is bruised and not dislocated, I can manage" he said.

"I'm tugging you out once I see fit, got me?"

"Yep-god knows I need to keep my mind off of things" Jackson said.

Mark cocked his head to the side; "Did you already talk to Kepner?"

Jackson sighed; "I didn't have the chance to, she's been busy at the pit and the last time I checked, she's in surgery with Hunt"

Mark thumped his hands on his thighs before standing up; "You'll get your chance, she won't go anywhere, don't worry" he said with a smile.

Jackson nodded in agreement; "Yeah-you're right, I'll just talk to her after our surgery" he said.

"Let's go prep our patient then"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"No, no, no" April while shaking her head.

"Let's run the bowel" Owen said.

"The abdomen's fully contaminated" April replied.

"Just run the bowel, we're gonna resect this and get out of here-let's get ready to pack him" Owen said.

"He's bleeding through the packing and there's still stool coming out" April said as she pulls another blood soaked lap pad out.

"Damn it! We need to take it out and resect more intestines" Owen replied as he works furiously.

"How's his I.N.R?" April asked.

"The last one was 6" Knox replied.

"Okay, give him factor seven F.F.P.S and platelets. Faster Kepner"

"He's having arrhythmias, I can't get a pulse-I think he's in P.E.A" Knox said.

Owen took his hands off the patient's abdomen; "Starting compressions" he said.

"P.H is down to 7.1" Knox said while shaking his head.

Owen shook his head and stopped his compression; "Damn it Lenny" he said. He then turned his gaze to April; "Time of death, 15:56" he said.

April sighed sadly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"What's going on?" Mark said as he enters the pit with Jackson in tow.

Alex turned around; "The fire fighter's captain didn't survive the operation" he said.

"Hunt and Kepner's patient?" Mark asked.

"Yeah" Alex replied.

"Where's April?" Jackson asked automatically.

Alex shifted his eyes towards Jackson; "She's outside, waiting for the wife" he said.

Jackson furrowed his brows; "She's gonna tell the wife? Where's Hunt?"

"Hunt's been tugged into an emergency surgery"

Mark turned his eyes towards Jackson; "She's gonna be fine, find her later-we need to go prep now" he said.

"Check on her" Jackson said, eyeing Alex.

Alex nodded; "Sure"

* * *

oOo

* * *

April swallowed hard as she watches her patient's wife step out of the car; she took a deep breath before walking towards her. "I'm Dr. Kepner, I worked on your husband, would you like to see him?"

The wife nodded tearfully.

April shifted closer to the wife and gently placed her arm on her back; "Okay" she said while steering her towards the door. She lead her through the corridor and stop right in front of a gurney; she nodded subtly towards the nurse and took something out of her pocket. "He's ring-Thought you'd wanted it back"

The wife accepted the ring with shaking hands.

"I'm so so sorry" April said sadly.

The wife nodded before shifting towards the gurney and leaning forward to hug her husband for the last time.

April took a step back and sucked in a breath; she moved her eyes away from the scene and shifted her eyes on the hallway-just in time to see Mark and Jackson wheeling a patient's bed towards the elevator. She bit her bottom lip hard and just opted to bow her head down.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Cristina entered Meredith's room and closed the door behind her; she sluggishly walked towards the bed and sat down. "I'm tired"

"How are you guys doing down there?" Meredith asked.

"We've been doing surgeries left and right. Owen has been pulled into an emergency surgery and I still have to wait for an hour" Cristina said with a yawn.

Meredith scooted to her right and patted the space beside her; "Come here and take a nap then" she said.

Cristina took off her shoes and moved towards the vacant space beside her best friend; she leaned her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. "Wake me up in 30?"

"I will" Meredith replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Hey, have you seen Mark?" Lexie asked as she walks towards Callie.

Callie shifted Sophia on her lap before turning her gaze towards the resident; "He's in surgery with Jackson, Necrotizing Fasciitis patient" she replied.

Lexie shifted towards the couch and sat beside Callie; "I guess, I'll be staying longer then" she said.

Callie turned her sideways; "You can go to his apartment you know, you have a key" she said.

Lexie leaned back and rested her head at the back of the couch; "I don't want to go there alone" she groaned.

Callie chuckled; "Why don't you go home to your house then"

"Too tired to drive" Lexie replied.

"I guess you really don't have a choice then" Callie said.

"Yeah-on call room it is" Lexie replied.

Callie chuckled.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You going home?"

April grabbed her bag from the locker and snapped it close; "Yeah"

Alex walked towards his own cubby and pulled it open; "I'm sorry about your patient" he said.

April sighed; "He was just doing his job by helping those people-he doesn't deserve to die"

Alex pulled his shirt on before turning towards April; "You did everything you can to save him Apes but sometimes we can only do so much"

"I know" April said.

Alex grabbed his coat and snapped his locker shut; "You have a ride?" he asked.

April shook her head; "I'm calling for a cab" she replied.

"Get your things, I'm taking you home" Alex said.

"It's okay Alex, I can just get a cab" April said.

Alex plucked his keys from his pocket and check for his phone; "You're not grabbing a cab, I'm taking you home. Your apartment is on the way, no need to waste money" he said.

April eyed Alex for a moment before nodding; "Okay-thanks"

"Let's go then" Alex said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson stepped out of the O.R and pulled his surgical cap off; he gently lifted his left arm and winced when pain shot straight to his shoulder. He was pissed at Mark when he threw him out of his O.R just a few minutes ago but now he's beginning to think that maybe it was the right call.

"There you are"

Jackson spun around and saw Richard walking towards him; "Did you need something?" he asked.

Richard stopped right in front of Jackson and placed his hands on his waist; "Your mother called me a couple of minutes ago to tell me that she's flying here tomorrow morning"

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Why?"

"She wants to check on the extent of the damages from the storm" Richard replied.

"Is that the only reason?" Jackson asked with a suspicious tone.

Richard winced; "And to check on you"

Jackson scowled; "You told her?"

"I had to, she was asking about you and you know your mother, it's impossible to lie to her" Richard explained. "I didn't tell her about your death defying stunt, I only told her you had some few cuts and bruises from helping out-I didn't even mention your dislocated shoulder"

Jackson closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath; after a few seconds he opened his eyes again. "Did she tell you what time she'll be arriving?" he asked.

"She flies out first thing tomorrow morning, so she should be here early noon"

"Did she need me to pick her up from the airport?"

Richard shook his head; "No, I'll send my driver to get her"

Jackson nodded; "Okay then, thanks" he said.

Richard gestured towards the elevator; "Well that's all-I'll go ahead, I still need to check on some of my patients" he said.

"Okay"

Richard spun on his heels and began walking away.

"Dr. Webber?"

Richard halted in his steps and turned his face towards Jackson; "Yes?"

Jackson shifted in his feet; "Have you seen April? Is she still in the pit?" he asked.

"No, Hunt already sent her home. I think she's catching a ride with Karev" Richard replied.

"I see, well-thank you"

Richard nodded before resuming his steps.

Jackson sighed as he watches the older surgeon walk away; "I guess you'll have to wait till tomorrow then," he said to himself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

**The next day:**

April sleepily entered the pit's entrance and was surprised to see people bustling around in a fast pace; she made her way towards the nurses' station when she saw Lexie and Alex talking. "Hey guys, what's happening here?"

Lexie peered behind Alex's shoulder and cringed; "There's another surge of mudslide in Madrona since it's been raining nonstop over night. A lot of people had already been evacuated but some are not fortunate, based from the call Hunt received, we're expecting at least 5 ambulances this morning" she explained.

"Why is this happening?" April groaned.

"Mother nature's wrath" Alex quipped.

"Karev, you're doing a ride along with me" Owen said as he fell into step with April.

Alex furrowed his brows; "Why?"

Owen sighed as he shoves his hands inside his lab coat pocket; "A kid had been severely injured and the EMT's doesn't want to move him for the fear of causing more damages. They need a surgeon on the field to assess the extent of the injuries before they make their move. There's an ambulance just outside the pit and they're the ones who will take us to the location so we need to leave now" he explained.

"I see, okay, I'll go with you" Alex said.

Owen opened his mouth to give further instructions but paused when his pager went off; he plucked the device from his pocket and read the message. "Crap!"

"What's wrong?" April asked.

"Shepherd is paging me 911 to O.R 3" Owen said.

"I can do the ride along by myself, it's just one kid" Alex said.

Owen shook his head; "That won't work, you will need help on this" he replied.

"I can go" April volunteered.

Owen turned his head to the side and stared at April; "Who's gonna handle the pit if you go?" he asked.

"Lexie can do it, she's a senior resident and I'm quite sure it won't take us long to get the kid" April said. She then turned her eyes to her friend; "You can handle it right?"

Lexie nodded; "Yes I can and if I need help then I'll just page the other Attendings"

"Are you sure you can do this Kepner? The last time you did a ride a long you almost had a concussion" Owen said seriously.

April rolled her eyes; "That was an unfortunate accident" she said.

Alex snickered; "That was not her fault, it's McGooglyEyes' fault"

"He has a name you know" April said, clearly not impressed with Alex.

Alex rolled his eyes; "Whatever" he said. He then turned his eyes to Owen; "Don't worry about her, she's with me" he said.

Owen shifted his eyes between the two surgeons before nodding; "Fine. Update me as soon as you guys reach the scene; don't do any death defying stunts because you are not trained to rescue, your job is to help the people _after _they've been rescued, are we clear on this?"

"Crystal" April replied.

"Yeah" Alex said.

Owen nodded; "Go and be safe" he said.

Alex gestured towards the door; "Let's go get this kid" he said before walking towards the door.

April nodded; "See you when I see you!" she said before following the Ped's Fellow.

Owen turned to Lexie; "Get Sloan or Avery to help you here until Kepner arrives, okay?"

"Okay" Lexie replied.

Owen spun on his heels and began jogging away.

Lexie shifted her eyes back to door and watched as her friend's climb up the rig; she felt goose bumps crawl up her arms and neck when an ominous feeling settle inside her chest. She hastily shook her head and squared her shoulders. "Your PTSD is kicking in again, shrug it off Grey, they'll be alright" she said to herself.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Are you still pissed at me?"

Jackson tore his eyes away from his tab and turned his head sideway; "Is that coffee for me?"

"It's yours if you admit that I did you right by kicking you out of that O.R" Mark said.

Jackson pointed towards his arm sling; "Isn't this enough admission?"

Mark placed the cup right in front of his prot and grinned widely; "Did you ask Callie to take a look at it?"

"She almost gone berserk on me when she saw me walking without my sling this morning, she practically shoved me into an exam room and wrapped me with this thing"

Mark laughed; "That explains the change of color, you had a blue one yesterday"

"Yeah" Jackson replied.

"Are you guys busy?"

Mark turned around and saw Lexie standing behind him; "It depends on what you need us for" he replied.

Lexie rolled her eyes as she shoves her hands inside her lab coat pockets; "I need an Attending at the pit, Hunt asked me to check if any of you two is available" she said.

Jackson threw Lexie a confused look; "Why? Is April not in yet?"

"She did a ride along with Alex, they're needed in the field" Lexie replied.

Mark furrowed his brows as he places his hands on his hips; "What do you mean field? They went to the mudslide site?"

Lexie nodded; "Yeah"

Jackson turned his gaze towards Mark, concern and worry evident on his face; "Is it safe to send our doctors there?"

Mark stared at Jackson for a moment before shifting his gaze back to his fiancé; "What did Hunt say? Is it safe?"

"Hunt said that they just need to get the kid and bring him here and he specifically told them not to replicate Jackson's death defying stunts last night"

"Good" Jackson replied.

Mark nodded; "I see" he said. He then plucked his own coffee from the counter; "I'll go help in the pit, you're not gonna be much help there with your sling."

Jackson nodded in agreement; "Page me, if you need me"

"Will do" Mark said as he steers Lexie towards the elevator.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Alex pulled his phone away from his ear and shoved it back inside his jacket; "I already told Hunt that we're here" he said.

April zipped her jacket close; "Alright, let's go then" she said before scooting towards the door and hopping out of the rig.

Alex followed April but tugged on the red head's arm even before she's able to move.

April turned her face towards Alex; "What?"

Alex stared into April's eyes with full seriousness; "Remember what Hunt said, no heroic stunts or rescue. We're here to just get the kid and that's it, understand?"

"Awww...you care about me after all" April teased.

Alex narrowed his eyes; "I'm not kidding Apes, you know our _luck_ with these things."

April reached for Alex's other arm and gave it a comforting squeeze; "I understand"

Alex tugged his hand away; "Let's get this kid so we can get the hell away out of here" he said.

April cracked a smile; "Yeah-let's go" she said.

* * *

"_**I would hold you in my arms, I would take the pain away. Thank you for all you've done, forgive all your mistakes. There's nothing I wouldn't do, to hear your voice again. Sometimes I wanna call you but I know you won't be there. I'm sorry for blaming you for everything I just couldn't do and I've hurt myself by hurting you..."**_

* * *

"So we were able to remove all the necrotic tissues but the lab suggests that your organs are beginning to fail" Mark said.

"Is there anything you can do?" Brian asked.

Jackson shifted closer to Mark; "Well—-we're giving you some powerful antibiotics and we're hoping that that stops the process but-"

"But I might not make it" Sasha finished.

"We are going to do everything that we possibly can" Mark said.

"We want to get married now" Brian said while looking at his fiancé. "No matter what happens, we want to married-we need a chaplain"

"Yeah, okay-we'll find someone" Mark said. He then turned towards Jackson and gestured towards the door; "Let's go"

Jackson nodded.

Mark stepped out of the room and walked towards the nurses' station; he grabbed his tab and began updating the information. "I'll go check the chapel downstairs to see if they have an available chaplain and I'll let you know so we can make arrangements for them" he said.

Jackson fell into step with Mark; "They're really getting married-_wow_" he said.

Mark placed his tab back on the counter and smiled sadly; "It's times like this when it really hits you"

"What hits you?"

"The severity of the situation clears our vision; it makes us realize the most important thing in our life and helps us decide our next step. Brian deems Sasha as the most important person in his life and his next step is marrying her despite of her condition" Mark paused and turned to fully face his prot. "I was in the same situation as Brian when I decided that I want to marry Lexie, so I know exactly how he feels."

Jackson nodded in understanding; "I see..."

Mark placed his hands on his hips; "I better find that chaplain, we have a wedding to attend" he said.

"Go"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I was able to clear his airway for the mean time but it looks like he swallowed mud" April said as she wipes the little boy's lips.

Alex grabbed a bandage from the first aid kit; "I was able to take out the debris on his wounds but his leg is badly mangled, we need to take him to the hospital as soon as possible" he said.

"My-bother" The little kid croaked.

"Hey-we're here, we're gonna take good care of you, don't be scared" April said soothingly.

"Bother-kichen"

April furrowed her brows as she leans forward; "You have a brother?" she asked tentatively.

The boy nodded; "Kichen"

"He's in the kitchen?" April asked.

The boy nodded again.

April turned her head sideways; "Did the EMT tell you that this kid has a brother?" she asked.

Alex tore the tape with his mouth; "No, why?"

April shifted her eyes to the house right in front of them; "He has a brother and he's in the kitchen" she said.

"I'm sure the EMT's got him" Alex said.

"Doctor?"

Alex turned his face to the side and saw an EMT looking at him expectantly; "Yeah?"

"Chief Watson wants to talk to you for a second" The EMT said.

Alex stood up from his perch and stared at April; "We'll lock and load when I get back, stay with him, okay?"

April nodded; "Go"

Alex spun on his heels and began following the EMT.

"Baby-Bother" The kid croaked again.

April moved her eyes back at the kid and bit her lip; she stared at him for a couple of seconds before shifting her gaze on the house. She placed her hands on her waist and began checking it intently; she squinted when she caught a little movement under the front porch swing. She bends forward and focused her eyes on that specific spot; she felt the wind get sucked out of her as her eyes widen.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson shifted the phone on his other ear; "Come on, what about Hassan?" he asked. "He's at the pile too? You realize they can't all be at the damn pile."

Mark puffed out breath upon hearing Jackson's statement.

"No, I don't care what religion they are, just give me somebody-anybody that can officiate this" Jackson paused and narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, as a member of the board, I'm gonna say you want to stay away from phrases like "Even a Catholic" alright? Just get me back when you got one, okay? Bye" he said before slamming the phone back to its cradle.

"No one's available?" Mark asked.

"They're all on the pile" Jackson said.

Mark peered behind his prot's shoulder and saw a familiar face walking towards their direction; he hastily pulled away from his perch and gestured towards hallway. "Momma Avery is coming this way and she looks pissed, I better head out, see you later" he said before scurrying away.

"What are-"

"Baby!"

Jackson scrunched his face and cussed lowly; he took a deep calming breath before turning around. "Mom"

Catherine stopped right in front of her son with wide eyes; "Richard didn't tell me you hurt your shoulder!" she said with panic. She began fussing on Jackson's arm before shifting her hands on his face; "Oh baby!"

Jackson can't help but crack a smile at his mother; "I'm fine Mom, my shoulder is just sore and Torres already took care of it for me" he said with an appeasing tone.

Catherine let her hands fall to her side and narrowed her eyes at Jackson sternly; "What the hell were you thinking?! You're the one who keeps reminding me that you're a doctor and not an administrator but the minute I fly back to Boston you seem to forget that and turned yourself into a rescuer in which may I remind you that you're not trained for!"

Jackson grimaced; "It was a little girl Mom, I couldn't leave her"

Catherine stared at his son's face before letting out deep breath; she shifted closer to him and pulled him into hug. "You did the right thing baby-it's just, you're my son and I don't want anything bad to happen to you...you're all I have left"

Jackson wrapped his good arm around his mother's shoulder; "I'm not going anywhere Mom-I'm safe"

"Good because I don't know what I would've done if something happened to you"

"I know..."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I'll tell Dr. Hunt that-" Alex cut himself off when he heard a loud crashing sound and people started yelling. "What the hell was that?" he asked as he turns around.

Chief Watson began running towards the site, pointing at the house near the ambulance; "Looks like the front porch collapsed" he said.

Alex quickly snapped his head towards the ambulance and saw that April is not there; he felt a niggling feeling inside his chest so he sprinted towards it. He shoved his way through the crowd and made a bee line towards the vehicle; he yanked the back door open, hoping to see the red head safely tucked inside. "Where is Dr. Kepner?"

"She said she's going to find you, she asked us to load and lock this kid" The EMT replied.

Alex felt dread and panic surge into his veins; "I'll find her" he said before slamming door close again. He pulled his phone away from his jacket pocket and dialled the red head's number; he shifted the phone to his ear while waiting for the familiar sound of ringing. He felt fear wash through him when the line got disconnected and he heard nothing; he tugged the phone away just in time to hear Chief Watson screaming his name. "Damn it Apes! What have you done?" he asked shakily.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Mark wrinkled his nose; "So you're telling me that I can get certified on line and marry those fire fighters? Me?"

Owen shrugged his shoulders; "That's the only way those two can get married, all the chaplains are out helping with the storm victims"

"There are storm victims here too!" Mark said.

"I know that-hold one moment" Owen said as he plucks his phone from his pocket. He checked the screen before tapping on the answer button; "Karev, you on your way back?" he asked. "What? What do you mean-"

Mark crossed his arms on top of his chest as he watches Owens' face turn pale; "What's going on Hunt?" he asked.

"Damn it!" Owen cursed loudly.

Mark shifted in his feet, clearly not liking what he's hearing.

"Are you on your way back? Don't let her circle down the drain and get her here as soon as possible-I don't care-tell those damn EMT's to step on it, I'll book an O.R. and make sure we're ready when you pull over, call me again as soon you reach the corner, okay, bye"

"What happened?" Mark asked sharply.

Owen let his hand fall and tightened his hold on his phone; "There had been an accident on the site and-Kepner is-she's-"

"She's what?" Mark demanded.

"She's-she's been hurt badly and Karev is bringing her back"

Mark cursed angrily.

Owen shook his head to clear his mind and squared his shoulders; he hastily made his way towards the nurses' station. "Book O.R. 3 and have it on standby. Page Shepherd 911, right now"

"Why do you need Derek? What happened to her?" Mark asked, panic evident in his voice.

Owen turned towards Mark; "The rescue team had to pull her out of the rubble when the front porch collapsed-she used herself as a shield to cover the little boy they found her with. She's has a possible TBI and lacerations on her body" he said gravely.

Mark cursed again; "How's her SAT's?"

Owen sucked in breath; "She's barely holding on" he admitted.

Mark clenched his fists tightly; "Did she had contact with some mud?"

"She did-the porch collapsed with the weight of the mud"

"I'm scrubbing in-the mud is contaminated with some flesh eating bacteria-her laceration and wound needs to be cleaned thoroughly" Mark said.

Owen nodded; "Be ready then,"

"I found the website where you can get your certification, it's a short course and you can finish it in 30 minutes"

Mark spun around and saw Jackson standing a couple of steps away from him; he threw Owen a side glance and saw him shook his head subtly. He gritted his teeth and forced out a smile; "That's great however I would need you to take that certification for me" he paused and cleared his throat. "The ambulances from Madrona are on their way here and all hands are on deck-so, I need you to take it and wait for me in Sasha's room, okay?"

"Do you need some extra hands here? I'm quite sure they will under-"

"No" Mark said, cutting Jackson off. "Sasha doesn't have much time and you know it, I need you there more than I need you here-I'll come find you once I'm done, do you understand me?"

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Okay" he said. He then spun on his heels and began walking towards the door.

Mark turned around and faced Owen.

"Chief?"

Owen peered behind Mark's shoulder; "Yes Avery?"

"Is Karev and April on their way back?" Jackson asked.

Mark felt his whole body stiffen as a lump form in his throat.

Owen cleared his throat; "Y-yeah, they're on their way back"

Jackson smiled; "Good, can you page me once they arrive? I need a-a quick consult with April" he said.

Owen can't seem to muster an answer so he just nodded.

"Thank you" Jackson said before turning around and resuming his pace.

"She better be alive when they get her here" Mark said through gritted teeth.

Owen closed his eyes and let out a deep calming breath; "She will be"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You can't die on me April, I swear to god I'll follow you to the place you call heaven and haul you back here to kick your freaking ass" Alex said as he gripped April's hand tighter.

"We're about to round the corner Dr. Karev" The EMT yelled from the front.

Alex kept his hand on April's as he pulled his phone from his pocket with the other; he furiously tapped on it and shifted the phone to his ear. He waited for the call to connect and gritted his teeth; "We're rounding the corner, be ready" he said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Derek walked towards his best friend and noticed the grave expression on his face; "What's going on?" he asked.

Mark turned his head sideways; "Kepner has been involved in an accident in the field"

Derek frowned; "What the hell happened?"

Mark shifted his eyes back to the driveway; "The front porch collapsed while she's trying to save a little boy" he replied.

The E.R doors burst open and Owen came out jogging; "They're here" he said. He fixed his eyes on the driveway just in time to see the ambulance driving towards them; he laced his Trauma gown hastily and ran towards the vehicle even before it stopped, Derek and Mark both in tow.

The back door was immediately pushed open as Alex's jumped out; he gripped the tail end of the gurney and began hauling it down. "I was able to control the bleeding on her open wounds but her head is badly bruised-her stomach is distended and I was able to secure her shoulder. I-I did everything-_everything _but I can't make her wake up-she's been unconscious since they were able to pull her out-she coded once but I was able to bring her back"

Derek grabbed his pen light from his breast pocket and began checking April's eyes and reflexes.

Owen tore his eyes away from April's frail form and met Alex's eyes; "You did good Karev-we'll take care of her now. Go clean yourself, Robbins will be working on the kid, page Webber" he ordered.

Alex staggered back and nodded; he shifted his eyes back to the gurney and swallowed hard. "Don't let her die..."

Derek tugged on the side railing; "We need to take her to CT-let's move her now!" he said.

Owen and Mark nodded and began rushing the gurney towards the E.R doors.

"Hey Pretty Boy over here!"

Jackson halted his step and turned his head to the side; he cracked a small smile and made his way towards Meredith's room.

"What's this I hear that you're off marrying people now?" Cristina asked.

Jackson rolled his eyes as he leans on the door frame; "Mark's patient's wants to get married today but all the chaplains are out."

"You're neither a chaplain nor a minister, how will you marry them?" Meredith asked.

"Hunt told Mark that there's this website you can get certifications on-he was supposed to do it himself but he's needed at the pit so he asked me-no, ordered me to do it"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Cristina smirked; "You're not only the _boss _of this hospital now, you're also our new stand-in chaplain. You Avery's are really over achievers!" she teased.

"I'm only doing this today so don't get _too _excited" Jackson said.

Cristina opened her mouth to tease Jackson further but her pager went off; she plucked it from her pocket and read the message.

"Who is it? You just got here" Meredith said.

Cristina stuffed her pager inside her lab coat pocket and hopped off the bed; "Evil Spawn is paging me to O.R. 2" she said.

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Karev?"

"Yeah" Cristina replied. She then made her way towards the door and waved her hand to Mer; "See you later Mer" she said.

Meredith noticed the look on Jackson's face; "What's wrong?"

"I wonder if April got tugged on his surgery, I told Hunt to have her page me as soon as she arrives" Jackson said with a pensive look.

"You can always check the O.R boards, you know? No need to stress yourself thinking about it."

Jackson shifted his eyes to the General Surgeon and smiled; "That's a good idea" he said. He then pulled away from his perch and turned around; "See you later Mer" he said before walking away.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"She has intracerebral hematoma on her frontal lobe and her GCS is lower than the average, I need to open her up to relieve the pressure on her brain" Derek said as he studies the CT results.

"Can I debrid her wounds while you do that? I need to make sure that it's not infected or we'll have a bigger problem, we don't need her organs shutting down on us" Mark said.

Derek shot up from his perch; "Yeah-let's go, we don't have much time" he said. He then threw Owen a look; "Has O.R 3 been prepped for craniotomy?" he asked.

"Yes" Owen replied."I'll also scrub in with you the ultrasound says that she's bleeding internally"

"Have the nurses page Lexie, I need her there" Derek said.

Owen threw Derek a look; "Are you sure that's a good idea? April is pretty much her best friend" he said.

Derek turned his head towards Mark; "Can you talk to her? I need her to scrub in with me because I can't have an intern-_not_ in this surgery."

Mark took a deep breath; "I'll talk to her"

"I'll meet you in the O.R" Derek said as he steps out of the CT room.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson stepped out of the elevator and began walking along the surgical floor; he rounded the corner and was surprised to see his mentor standing right in front of O.R. 3 with Lexie and Derek.

"I need you to be her doctor and not her friend, can you do that?" Derek said seriously.

Lexie wiped her cheeks and bit her bottom lip hard; she stared at Derek for a moment before nodding.

"I need an audible answer Lexie" Derek said.

Lexie swallowed hard; "Y—yes"

"Good, I'll meet you there in 5 minutes, scrub fast" Derek said before rushing towards the O.R. doors.

"Why are you crying?"

Lexie and Mark both turned around saw Jackson; the latter cleared his throat and pushed his fiancé towards the door. "Go scrub, Derek needs you in there" he said.

Lexie averted Jackson's eyes and made her way towards the O.R without a word.

Jackson furrowed his brows as he watches Lexie disappear from the door; "What's wrong with her?"

"She's just a little bit stressed out with this surgery" Mark replied evasively. He then placed his hands on his hips; "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to monitor Sasha"

Jackson shifted in his feet; "I just checked on her and it looks like the antibiotics are doing the trick, lab says she's improving" he replied.

"Good. No one's handling the pit now since Derek pulled Lexie from the pit; I need you to go stay there and assist the residents and the interns"

"Where's Hunt?" Jackson asked.

"He's in surgery" Mark replied.

"Okay" Jackson replied.

Mark gestured towards the O.R. door; "I need to get in there now, run along and boss the interns or resident's around" he said.

Jackson shook his head; "As if people here don't boss them around enough"

Mark forced out a smile; "Go,"

Jackson spun on his heels and made his way back, temporarily forgetting his purpose of going to this floor.

Mark waited until Jackson disappeared from the corner before he stepped into the O.R.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I could take care of this kid, you should take a rest" Arizona said.

Alex shook his head; "No-I can't just sit there and wait, I need to do something" he replied.

Cristina stepped into the O.R. and walked towards the nurse who's holding up gloves; "What do we have?" she asked as she slips her hands inside.

"His broken rib punctured his left lung" Arizona replied.

Cristina stepped right in front of the operating table and leaned forward, assessing the damages; "What happened to this kid?" she asked.

Arizona lifted her eyes from her work and stared at Cristina; "It's one of the casualties from the mudslide in Madrona"

"I see" Cristina said. She then shifted her gaze to the side when she noticed Alex's eerie silence; "Evil spawn, are you okay?" she asked.

Alex cleared his throat; "Y—yeah"

"You're awfully quiet" Cristina said as she began working fixing on the tear.

Alex pulled a blood soaked lap pad and cleared his throat; "Have you heard about Hunt's surgery?" he asked.

"Retractors" Cristina said. "No, should I?"

"You should because it's April who's in there"

"You mean, Owen is working _with _April, right?" Cristina asked.

Alex didn't respond.

"Alex" Arizona said gently.

Alex's grip on the forcep tightens; "No, he's working on April-there had been an accident on site-she got hurt while saving this kid's baby brother" he said.

Both Cristina and Arizona froze, their eyes wide in shock.

Alex shook his head to clear his thoughts and just continued his work.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I need to take the spleen out, it's no longer salvageable-she's bleeding too much" Owen said.

Mark turned towards the nurse and handed her the specimen vial; "Take this to the lab and have them run a culture. Tell them to push everything at the back and have this one prioritized, I need the results as soon as possible" he said.

"Right away Dr. Sloan" The nurse replied before scurrying away.

"I have debrided all her wounds, I just need to wait for the results to come back-there are no visible discoloration on any of the sites which is a good sign" Mark said.

"I already evacuated all the clots, I'm about ready to close" Derek said.

"I'll go get Callie so she can take a look at-"

Mark wasn't able to finish his sentence when the machines started beeping wildly.

"Her BP is dropping-she's down to v-fib" Knox said.

"Damn it!" Owen cursed loudly as he pulls his hands away.

Mark shot up from his stool; "Starting chest compressions, now" he said as he placed his hands on April's chest.

Lexie took a step back as she choked out a sob.

Derek turned his eyes towards his sister in law; "You're not her friend now-you're her doctor" he said sternly.

Lexie didn't seem to hear Derek's words because her eyes are glued to the O.R table.

"Hand me the paddle, charge to 100" Owen said. He placed the paddles on April's chest; "Clear"

"Lexie" Derek called out loudly.

Mark pulled his hands away and fixed his gaze at the monitor.

"Still no heartbeat" Knox said.

Lexie let out another sob as tears began running down her cheeks, soaking her mask.

Derek's head snapped to the side and stared at the nearest scrub nurse; "Get Dr. Grey out of here, now!" he barked.

The scrub nurse hastily made her way towards Lexie and began steering her towards the door.

Mark placed his hands back on April's chest and started the compression's again; "Push 5 of epi now"

"Come on Kepner, don't do this, you are a soldier-you can't die on us. Charge to 150" Owen said.

Mark automatically pulled his hands away.

"Clear" Owen said.

Mark shifted his gaze back to the monitor; "Come on Kepner, we need a heartbeat"

The machines stopped beeping; "We got a pulse" Knox said.

"Son of a bitch" Mark said with a relieved sigh.

Owen handed the paddles back to the nurse; he shifted closer to April and leaned forward. "Don't you dare code on us again Kepner-don't you dare" he whispered.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I thought you're only doing Admin works today?"

Jackson tore his eyes away from his tab; "I was but nobody is handling the pit at the moment, all of them seems to be in surgery" he said glumly.

Catherine smiled; "Don't look so glum baby, just give it a few days and you'll be back into an O.R" she said.

"I know, what are you doing here anyway?" Jackson asked.

"I'm actually looking for Richard, we're supposed to have coffee" Catherine replied. "Have you seen him by any chance?"

Jackson pointed towards the nurses' station near the Outpatients receiving area; "He's there" he said.

Catherine turned around and saw his beau charting; "There he is, well-I better go to him" she said.

Jackson nodded; "Go"

"Do you want me to get you something from the cafeteria?"

"No, I'm good"

"Okay baby, see you later" Catherine said before walking towards the other surgeon.

Jackson shifted his eyes back to his tab and began updating the information on the electronic board.

"-it's terrible. I heard they only did that ride along to help a kid and now she's the one fighting for her life. I hope she pulls through-she's always been pleasant to work with"

Jackson felt all the air get sucked out of his lungs as his whole body stiffens.

"Do you know who's operating on her?"

"I checked the O.R board when I passed by the surgical floor and I saw Shepherd, Sloan and Hunt's name"

Jackson heard a loud ringing in his ears as his eyes started blurring; his grip on the tab his holding loosens, dropping it on the floor with a loud clatter.

Catherine halted her steps and turned around; "Baby?"

Jackson didn't respond; he just stood there frozen, his feet rooted on the ground.

Catherine narrowed her eyes and noticed that her son's face have gone pale; she hastily retraced her steps and stopped right in front of him. "Jackson? What's going on?"

Jackson blinked a couple of times before bolting towards the door without a word.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"How's the bleeding?" Derek asked.

"Everything is under control, I'll close her up" Owen replied.

"I'll do the stitches if you don't mind-I don't want her to have ugly scars" Mark said.

"No problem" Owen replied.

**"_Why the hell was I not informed about this? You hid it all from me! I of all people deserve to know this!"_**

**"_This is the exact reason why they didn't tell you! They need to focus on April right now and they can't deal with your anger while trying to save her life at the same time!"_**

Derek shifted his eyes at Mark; "I think you should go out there and talk to him, we don't need him barging inside this room" he said.

Owen nodded in agreement; "I'm still packing her up, it will still take time before I can close-go calm him down and give him an update" he said.

Mark nodded and stood up from his perch; "This won't be pretty" he said with a grimace.

Owen turned his gaze towards the scrub nurse; "Page Dr. Torres"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"What do you mean I can't get in there? I own this fucking hospital so I can do whatever I want!" Jackson yelled loudly.

Lexie placed her hands on her waist; "I own this hospital too and you're not going in there!"

"Yeah but I'm Mr. 51%! I get to call the shots and you very well know that I can veto you all out!"

"Really? You're bringing that up now?" Lexie snapped.

Jackson gritted his teeth as he tries to stifle the emotion that's raging inside his chest; "Look, I'm not trying to pick a fight with you-just let me see her Lexie-I need to-" he paused and swallowed back a sob.

Lexie felt her heart go out to her friend; "I know you want to and I wish I can but like what I've said, they don't need you hovering on them while they do their job-Derek kicked me out of that O.R too because I can't hold it in and it's causing distractions for them so please, just listen to me" she pleaded.

Jackson placed his hands on his hips and bowed his head down; he closed his eyes as he takes deep calming breaths.

The door suddenly opened and Mark stepped out; he closed the door behind him and stared at his distraught student. "She's fine"

Jackson felt something snap inside his chest upon hearing his mentor's words; he felt tears run down his cheeks as relief wash through him. _"She's alive-she's safe" _he thought. He staggered back and leaned on the wall for support; he felt his knees gave in as he slides down to the floor.

Mark quickly made his way towards Jackson and squatted right in front of him; "You okay?" he asked with concern.

Jackson couldn't talk pass the lump in his throat so he just shook his head; he gathered his knees to his chest and hid his face into the crook of his arms. He's been trying to hold it together for a couple of minutes now but he couldn't anymore; his shoulders shook as gut wrenching sobs escaped his lips.

Mark turned his face towards his fiancé; silently asking for help-clearly not sure how to deal with this kind of situation.

Lexie didn't think twice; she walked towards Jackson and sat down on the floor beside him. She gently wrapped her arm around the whimpering man's shoulder and pulled him closer to her; "It's alright-let it out, she's safe-April is alive" she whispered.

Jackson didn't budge from his spot and just kept his face hidden.

Mark reached forward and gave Jackson's arm a comforting squeeze; "I need to get back in there to help Derek and Owen-we'll take care of her. Stay with Lexie, I'll have someone find you once we're done. I promise you that we won't let anything happen to her-we've got her" he gently said.

Jackson pulled his tear stricken face off his arms; "Don't-don't leave her side-please? Just don't leave her alone" he rasped out.

"I won't. I'll stay with her" Mark said seriously. "Are you gonna be alright?"

Jackson sniffed loudly; "Y-yeah"

Mark nodded and stood up silently; he walked towards the door and stepped inside the O.R. once again.

Lexie squeezed Jackson's shoulder; "Let's go sit somewhere comfortable and I'll get you something to drink" she said.

Jackson turned his face towards Lexie; "I'm sorry I screamed at you-I didn't mean to" he said.

Lexie shook her head; "You don't have anything to be sorry for-I understand"

* * *

"_**Some days I feel broke inside but I won't admit. Sometimes I just wanna hide 'cause it's you I miss and it's so hard to say goodbye when it comes to this. Would you tell me I was wrong? Would you help me understand? Are you looking down upon me? Are you proud of who I am?"**_

* * *

"You asleep?"

Meredith opened her eyes and turned her head sideways; "I'm trying but I can't" she replied.

Alex entered the room and walked towards the couch; he plopped down and rested his head back.

Meredith eyed her friend; "You okay?"

Alex sighed; "Yeah"

"Is everything okay?"

Alex opened his eyes but kept it glued to the ceiling; "April has been in an accident and your husband is operating on her now."

Meredith's eyes widen in shock; "What-what happened?"

"We did a ride along to pick up an injured kid from the site and she just decided to be a hero" Alex said. He then shot up from his perch and began pacing angrily; "Hunt told us _specifically_ that we're only there to stabilize the kid and bring him here. I told her to stay put while I talked to the EMT's Chief because he wanted to talk to me-I was gone for a couple of minutes Mer-just a _couple_ of minutes and the next thing I know people are screaming and rescuers are pulling her out of the rubble, how fucked up is that?" he bellowed. He paused and gritted his teeth; "Kepner is not the type to break rules-she's the only one among us who actually follows it and the moment she decides to break a protocol-_poof-_her life is hanging by a freaking thread!"

"Calm down Alex" Meredith said.

Alex didn't seem to hear his friend's plea, he scrunched his face as he continued his pacing; "She was barely breathing when they were able to pull her out-there was so much blood and she's just lying in my arms. She coded once you know? We were in the freaking ambulance on the way here and she almost died there-in the freaking rig of all places! She decided to code where she knew I couldn't do much and-"

"Pick up my baby" Meredith said, cutting her friend off.

Alex paused and turned towards Meredith; "What?"

Meredith gestured towards the bassinet; "Pick up my baby" she repeated.

"Why?"

"Don't ask questions and just get my baby"

Alex threw Meredith a confused look before walking towards the bassinet; he gently lifted the tiny baby and cradled him into his arms. He walked towards the bed and leaned forward; "Here" he said.

Meredith shook her head; "The baby is for you"

Alex frowned; "Huh?"

"You're agitated and you're freaking out, hold him and he'll calm you down" Meredith explained.

Alex took a deep calming breath and stood straight; he shifted his arms closer to his chest and stared at the tiny bundle in his arms.

"I'm sure April has her reasons why she broke protocol, like what you said-she's a stickler for rules. I know you're worried about her that's why you're pissed but you mentioned that Derek has her-he won't let anything happen to her so calm down"

Alex shifted his gaze back to Meredith and took another calming breath; "You're right, she's in good hands, they won't let anything happen to her" he said.

Meredith smiled; "Kepner is a tough cookie, she'll pull through"

Alex can't help but crack a smile; "When did you become so optimistic? You used to be the queen of pessimism-you're a sucker for bad news"

"Drowning and being held at gun point and still surviving does that, I guess" Meredith said thoughtfully.

Alex shook his head.

"Hey"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Lexie and Jackson both raised their heads.

Cristina placed her hands on her hips; "Owen and Mark asked me to find you to let you know that April is being moved to the ICU" she said.

Jackson shot up from his chair; "Can I see her? Is she awake? How's her SAT's?"

"You can see her after a couple of minutes and no-she's not awake but her SAT's are improving" Cristina replied.

Jackson let out a relieved sigh; "Thank god" he breathed out.

Cristina threw Jackson a sympathetic look; "She's strong Avery, she'll make it through"

Jackson met Cristina's eyes; "I know-can I go see her now?"

Cristina nodded; "3rd floor, Mark's old room" she said.

"Thank you" Jackson said before bolting towards the elevator.

Lexie stood up from her perch; "Is Mark with her?" she asked.

"Yes, they're all assisting with the transfer"

Lexie shoved her hands inside her lab coat pocket; "I'll go check on her then,"

"Go"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"We should call whomever she listed in her emergency contacts" Derek said while eyeing April's frail form.

"I'll go over her files and make the call" Owen replied.

Mark placed his hands around his waist and stared at Owen; "You should ban her from doing ride alongs, she's a lightning rod for accidents when it comes to riding ambulances" he said.

Owen sighed; "I should've known that this will happen-the last time should have been an indicator"

"Don't beat yourself up about this, it's not your fault" Derek said firmly.

"I don't know..." Owen said.

"Derek is right, this is out of your hands. Don't put blame where it is not due" Mark said.

"How-how is she?"

All three surgeons turned around and saw an haggard looking Jackson standing by the door; Mark beckoned him forward. "Come in"

Jackson stepped into the room and made her way towards April's bed; he bit his bottom lip hard as he gently placed grasped April's hand in his.

Derek cleared his throat; "She had an intracerebral hematoma on her frontal lobe but I was able to evacuate the clot. I had to put her into a drug induced coma to let the swelling subside so that her brain can heal" he explained.

Jackson felt his knees weaken upon hearing the prognosis so he sat down at the side of the bed; "Is t—there any lingering damages to her brain?" he asked as he looks at the Neuro Surgeon.

Derek placed his hands on his waist and sighed; "I really can't tell, we still need to wait for her to wake up but I'm hoping for the best" he said honestly.

Jackson shifted his eyes back at April; "I see"

Owen decided to speak next; "She had massive internal bleeding because her spleen was severely damaged so I had to take it out. All of her other organs are unharmed and functioning at a 100%" he said.

Jackson just nodded robotically.

Mark shifted closer to the footboard and braised his hands on it; "Callie said that all her bones are intact and there's no significant damage on the veins. Her right shoulder, knee and ankle are all dislocated but she already took care of that."

Jackson turned his head back and stared at Mark; "Did you check her wounds?"

Mark nodded; "I checked them one by one and debrided them all. I also run a culture to be sure and the labs came back clean" he said.

Jackson let out a relieved sigh; he then shifted his eyes back to April and gently ran his thumb on top of her hand. "Can you-can you guys leave me alone with her for a while"

"Of course" Derek replied.

Mark pulled his hands away from the footboard and took a step back; "We're going" he said.

"I know you'll want to stay with her tonight so I'll make arrangements" Owen said.

"Thank you" Jackson replied.

Owen nodded before stepping out the room.

Jackson waited for the sliding door to close before shifting closer to April; he leaned forward and gently ran the back of his hand on her pale cheek. He felt tears run down his cheeks but this time he didn't bother to hide them; "This is how you must have felt that night, huh? When I found out that this happened-it's like my world suddenly stopped spinning and the ground I'm standing on started crumbling away. I couldn't breathe-it's as if my head is about to burst and my heart is a second away from ceasing to beat" he paused and sniffed. "You keep me on my toes Kepner but you also brought me down to my knees. There still a lot of things I want to say to you but I won't say them now because you have to be awake to hear them-I'll wait for you to open those pretty eyes so I could stare into them again. We've got you Apes and I'm gonna damn make sure that you're well taken care of, come back to me soon, you promised me too, remember? It's always gonna be me and you-I didn't die that night because I kept my promise, now it's time for you to hold your end of the bargain" he said desperately. He then lifted April's hand to his lips and planted a gentle kiss at the back; he then shifted it to his cheek and closed his eyes,

* * *

oOo

* * *

"How is she?" Lexie asked while staring at April's room.

"She's holding on" Mark replied. He then wrapped his arms around Lexie's waist and planted a kiss on her forehead; "You okay?" he asked.

Lexie tilted her face and met Mark's eyes; "I'm sorry"

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, she's your friend and it's a normal reaction."

Lexie felt her eyes stinging; "She's more than just my friend-she's my best friend" she paused and averted Mark's eyes. "We didn't get along at first, I was a complete bitch to her but then I get to know her better and I finally saw what Jackson sees in her. April-no matter how much you pick on her and insult her, she doesn't hold grudges." She swallowed the lump in her throat and wiped the tears that managed to escape her eyes; "She's a good person and I can't understand why this happened to her"

"Shit happens Lex-even to good people" Mark said. He then placed his finger under Lexie's chin and tilted her face up; "April is a tough person and she will pull through this. She has a lot of things to live for and that man inside her room-he'll do everything he can to make sure that she knows that"

Lexie furrowed her brows as she sniffed; "What are you talking about? That's his best friend instinct kicking in again"

Mark smiled; 'No-that's his lover's instinct kicking in. He finally figured it out; he's in love with her too" he explained.

Lexie's eyes widen; "Really? Oh my god!" she gasped.

He then sighed and shifted his gaze towards the room; "He already broke up with Sadie and he's planning on telling April how he feels-he was supposed to tell her today but then this happened" he said.

Lexie followed her fiancé's gaze and looked at the couple sadly.

* * *

"_**There's nothing I wouldn't do to have just one more chance, to look into your eyes and see you looking back. I'm sorry for blaming you for everything I just couldn't do and I've hurt myself..."**_

* * *

It has been 3 days since the terrible accident have had happened and April hasn't opened her eyes yet. Derek confirmed that the swelling has subsided and her brain is healing well and they just need to wait for her to wake up in her own pace. Her family was able to fly out from Ohio and they've been in constant vigil beside April's bed, much to Jackson's chagrin. Her parents were very receptive to him ever since they learned his name; it turns out that April had been telling them about him since their Mercy West days. Libby, April's older sister is a different story though; she was polite yes but sometimes Jackson' can't help but feel that she's observing him a little too closely and it's making him uncomfortable.

"Why are you standing out here?"

Jackson turned his head to the side and saw Cristina walking towards him; "The room is kinda full" he replied.

Cristina stopped beside the Plastics Fellow and turned to face the room; "They're here early" she observed.

Jackson leaned back on the nurses' counter; "Yeah"

Cristina threw Jackson a side glance; "Is she awake?"

Jackson sighed; "No"

"I see but don't worry she'll wake up soon, she just needs time"

Jackson nodded; "Yeah"

Cristina shoved her hands inside her lab coat pockets; "Did you try to kiss her?" she asked seriously

Jackson's head snapped to side and threw Cristina a baffled look; "I'm sorry-what?"

Cristina cracked a small teasing smile; "For her to wake up. Kepner has always been a firm believer of ever afters-the one you often see in Disney movies? Maybe she's just waiting for her true love's kiss, like Cinderella" she said.

"Sleeping Beauty you mean?"

Cristina spun around and saw Alex standing behind her; "What?"

Alex placed his hands around his waist and threw Cristina a displeased look; "Cinderella is the chic who lost her shoe while trying to run like hell. Sleeping Beauty is the chic that pricked her stupid finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel and slept for god knows how long" he explained.

Cristina scrunched her face; "I can't believe you watch Disney flicks evil spawn"

Jackson blinked a couple of times before bursting out laughing.

Alex and Cristina both turned to face Jackson and watched as he laughs his heart out.

Jackson quickly turned around as he bends forward with laughter, actively ignoring the stares his receiving from his friends. He laughed until he felt tears stream down his cheeks-he laughed till it's no longer funny and laughed till his voice turned hoarse, choked with tears.

Cristina threw Alex a look, silently asking the other surgeon to comfort the other man.

Alex subtly shook his head and pushed her towards him instead.

Cristina sighed before shifting closer; she placed her hand on her friend's shoulder and turned him around to face her. She fixed him with a stern look and began wiping his cheeks; "Stop crying because April is not dead, she will wake up soon and she doesn't need you bawling like a bitch baby" she said. She let her hands fall to her side before softening her look; "We're all looking after her and Derek is doing his best as well, she's in good hands and she will be alright."

Jackson clenched his jaw and nodded curtly; trying his best to reign his emotions.

Alex cleared his throat; "Yang is right man, Kepner is a survivor she'll pull through this" he said.

Jackson didn't respond and just shifted his eyes back to the room.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"J-jac-son"

Libby shot up from her chair and hastily made her way towards her sister's bed; "April?"

"J-ac-son" April mumbled as her eyes started to flutter.

Libby let out a sob of relief as she punched on the red button above April's bed; she gently grasped her sister's hand and gave it a soft squeeze. "Wake up Apple...please open your eyes" she choked out.

April wrinkled her nose as she opens her eyes.

"Thank god!" Libby gasped.

April blinked a couple of times, trying to focus her eyes; she swallowed hard and instantly felt the dryness in her throat. "W-wa-er" she croaked.

The doors suddenly opened and Derek sauntered in.

Libby took a step back but kept her eyes on her sister; "She just woke up and she's asking for water" she said.

"Can you get her some?" Derek asked.

Libby nodded and quickly bolted towards the door.

Derek stood beside April's bed and grabbed his pen light from his breast pocket; "April? Can you tell me who I am-a name will do" he asked gently.

April swallowed again; "D-rek"

Derek let out a sigh of relief before smiling; "I'm gonna have to do some tests, is that okay?"

"Ye—a"

Derek turned the penlight on and began his basic Neuro exams.

Libby stepped inside the room just as Derek is finishing up; she walked towards him and handed the cup silently.

Derek adjusted the angle of the bed and took the cup from Libby's hand; he shifted it close to April's lips and made her grasp the straw. "Slowly"

April took a couple of sips before pulling her lips away; she blinked a couple of times before clearing her throat. "What-happened?"

"You've been in an accident in the field and you hit your head hard" Derek explained.

"What happened to the little boy? Did he make it?" April asked.

Derek can't help but smile; "He's fine, thanks to you" he said.

April let out a relieved sigh; "How long was I out?" she asked.

"3 days" Derek replied.

"3 days?" April asked. She then tried sitting up but winced when she felt a sharp pain on her abdomen; "Ouch" she groaned.

"What do you think you're doing?" Derek asked with a bewildered look.

April turned her face to side; "Why does my stomach hurt like hell?"

Derek placed the cup on top of the overbed; "Does it hurt?"

"Yeah"

Derek clicked on the pain meds button thrice before shifting his gaze back to April; "The accident caused massive internal bleeding so Hunt had to open you up to control it. Your spleen was severely damaged so he had to take it out but everything else is intact" he explained.

April sighed tiredly; "What else? Can I see my chart?"

Derek chuckled; "No you can't, you're a patient not a doctor"

April pursed her lips.

Derek placed his hands on his waist; "Your right shoulder, knee and ankle are a bit tender because you dislocated it but Callie was able to fix it so you don't have to worry about them" he said.

"What else?"

Derek shook his head; "No, that's about everything" he said.

April nodded; "I see"

"I'll be back to do some more tests later but for now I'll go ahead and update _our _people, they've been waiting for you to wake up for days now" Derek said with a large smile.

"Get Alex?" April asked.

Derek threw April a confused look; "You don't want me to get Jackson?"

April felt her cheeks flush as she shook her head; "Err-get Alex first, please?"

"Okay" Derek replied. He then spun around and walked towards the door; he was about to step out but paused and threw April a back glance. "Glad to have you back Kepner"

April smiled; "I'm glad to be back" she replied.

Derek nodded before stepping out into the hallway.

"You gave us a scare there" Libby said.

April's eyes widen upon hearing a familiar voice; "L-libby?" she called out.

Libby walked towards the bed and sat at April's bed side; she gently grasped her little sister's hand and placed a chaste kiss on it. "I'm glad you're okay"

April felt her eyes pool with tears as she tugs on Libby's hand; "Come here and give me a hug"

Libby leaned forward and gently wrapped her arms around April's form; after a moment she pulled away and wiped sister's cheeks. "Mom and Dad are are also here, I just sent them back to their hotel to rest but they will back tomorrow morning"

April sniffled; "I'm sorry I made you worry" she said.

Libby shook her head; "You have nothing to be sorry for Apple because you did the right thing" she said.

"I couldn't leave him there-he's so young to die"

"I know love" Libby replied.

April smiled; she then shifted in her bed and swallowed hard. "Please don't tell me that Alice and Kimmie are also here-they'd give me hell if they find out what happened"

Libby laughed; "They're not here yet but they will be soon, you have time to prepare."

April groaned.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Derek entered the Attendings' Lounge with a huge smile on his face; "April's already awake and she's fine" he said loudly.

Lexie's eyes widen; "Really? Thank god!" she gasped.

Cristina turned her head sideways and smiled widely; "Told you she'll wake up today, pay up"

Alex narrowed his eyes but a smile is visible on his lips; "I'll pay you later" he replied.

"I can't believe you guys!" Arizona said, clearly aghast.

Callie chuckled; "Wagering is their favourite past time" she said. She then turned her eyes to Cristina; "How many days did Mer bet on?" she asked.

"4 days" Cristina replied. "Ha! I've always known that Kepner loves me more, she doesn't want me to lose!"

Alex rolled his eyes.

Derek shook his head at his wife's best friends; he then shoved his hands inside his lab coat pockets and fixed his eyes on Alex. "She's asking for you Karev, go see her"

Lexie scrunched her face; "She asked for Alex? Why?"

"I have no idea" Derek replied.

Alex thumped his hands on his thighs and stood up; "I'll go see her then" he said. He then walked towards the door and left the room without a word.

"Where's Avery?" Derek asked.

"He's in surgery with Mark" Lexie replied.

Derek turned towards his sister in law; "Can you tell him after the surgery? I need to go update my wife"

Lexie nodded; "Sure"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Doesn't it feel good to be back in surgery?" Mark asked.

"Yeah" Jackson replied glumly.

Mark paused and lifted his eyes to stare at his prot; "Don't be like that" he said.

"I can't help it"

"I know but you have to buck up. She'll be awake soon and she won't be happy with you if she finds out that you've been slacking off with your job"

Jackson sighed; "I know"

Mark shifted his eyes back to his work; "No more moping around, let's just focus on giving this woman a nose that will put any other noses into shame."

Jackson can't help but chuckle at his mentor's antics.

Mark smiled behind his mask.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You called his name" Libby said while eyeing April.

"Huh?"

Libby smiled teasingly; "You were calling Jackson's name when you're waking up" she clarified.

April felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment; "Oh god"

Libby chuckled.

"Did Derek hear it?" April asked, clearly mortified.

"No, but if he came a little bit earlier he might've" Libby replied.

April closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands.

Libby smirked; "I have to give it you sis, you know how to pick your man. Jackson is hot and he seems to care for you a lot"

April pulled her hands away from her face; "Of course he cares for me, I'm his best friend."

"I think he sees you more than that" Libby said thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" April asked, curiosity seeping through her voice.

Libby leaned back on the footboard and crossed her arm on top of her chest; "He's always around and I think he sleeps here every night after we leave. I caught him sleeping by your bed side once but I didn't have the heart to wake him up because he looks so tired. And oh, he looked awful when we arrived-his eyes are blood shut and puffy, he looks like he'd been crying"

April rested her head back and sighed.

Libby threw April a curious look; "Aren't you gonna say anything?"

"I need to talk to him" April said.

"I can page him if you want" Libby said.

April lifted her head and met Libby's eyes; "No-he'll be here as soon as they tell him I'm awake"

"Okay"

"Shepherd told me that Sleeping Beauty is finally awake but she might've hit her head hard because she's calling for the wrong prince"

April's head snapped to the side and can't help but smile widely at her friend; "Alex"

Alex stepped into the room with a huge smile; "You sure you want to see me and not Pretty boy?" he teased.

"Come here" April said.

Libby stood up from her perch; "I'll go call Mom and Dad to tell them you're awake" she said before walking towards the door.

Alex stopped at the bed side and placed his hands on his hips; "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm good-no pain or whatsoever" April replied.

Alex nodded; "Good" he said. He then shifted closer to the bed and sat down; "I'm still mad at you"

"I know-that's why I asked for you" April replied.

Alex eyed April for a couple of seconds before speaking; "You scared the hell out of me, you know that? You ran into an unstable house even though I told you not to and you coded on me inside a freaking ambulance where you know I can't very well do much."

April reached for Alex's hand and gave it a soft squeeze; "I'm sorry" she said ruefully.

Alex sighed; "I know you did that to save a kid's life so I'm trying my hardest not to be _too_ pissed" he said.

April let out a small smile; "Thank you for not letting me die, I owe you my life."

Alex squeezed April's hand comfortingly before pulling his hand away; he then narrowed his eyes playfully and smirked. "You Mercy Wester's take competitions into a higher level"

April threw Alex a baffled look; "Huh?"

Alex stood up from his perch; "Avery jumped into a burning bus to save a little girl's life just a couple of nights ago. A day after, you ran into an unstable house to save a little boy's life and had the whole porch collapse on you-I think you deserve to win this round, being squashed by a porch trumps burning buses, don't you think?"

"Alex! We're not competing!" April said incredulously.

Alex chuckled as he walks towards the door; "If it's not a competition then it's a sign that you guys are meant to be together-you'd make power couple, our hospital's poster heroes or something, helps with our revenue, ya know" he said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You guys done with your surgery?" Lexie asked as she walks towards her fiancé and Jackson.

"Yep, just sent our patient up to recovery" Mark replied.

Lexie stopped right in front of both men and grinned widely; "April's awake, Derek said that she's fine and-"

Jackson didn't wait for Lexie to finish; he was gone in a flash.

Mark couldn't help but chuckle at his prot's reaction; "You think he'd make to her room without foaming in the mouth?"

Lexie laughed.

* * *

"_**If I had just one more day, I would tell you how much that I've missed you since you've been away. It's dangerous, it's so out of line to try and turn back time. I'm sorry for blaming you for everything I just couldn't do and I've hurt myself by hurting you..."**_

* * *

Jackson made it to the ICU floor in records time; he ran like his running for his life which in turn is actually true because the person he deemed to be his _life _has finally come back to him. _His _April kept her promise and he couldn't wait to see her again; he carelessly rounded the corner and unexpectedly crashed into someone.

"Ouch! Geez!"

Jackson hastily bend forward to grab the phone on the floor; "I'm so so sorry" he apologized profusely.

"I take it that you finally heard the news?"

Jackson shot up and felt his eyes widen upon seeing Libby standing right in front of him, smiling amusedly albeit rubbing her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you rounding the corridor-I should've walked instead of running and-"

"Stop apologizing Jackson its okay, I know you're just excited to see my sister" Libby said with a chuckle, cutting Jackson off.

Jackson threw Libby a sheepish look; "Well-yeah" he admitted while handing her phone back.

Libby grabbed her phone and stared at Jackson; "She was calling your name, you know? When she's about to wake up, you're the first name she mentioned"

"R-really?" Jackson gasped.

"Yeah, she was calling out for you"

Jackson felt his heart beat faster as he met Libby's eyes; "I-I better go see her then"

Libby nodded before taking a side step.

Jackson decided to walk rather than run; he doesn't want to crash into someone again.

"Jackson?"

Jackson halted his steps and turned his head towards April's older sister; "Yes?"

Libby turned around; "My sister loves you so much and I can see that you feel the same way for her" she paused as her face turned serious. "Hurt her again and I won't think twice about gutting you like a pig, do you understand me?"

Jackson met Libby's eye straight on; "You have my word, I won't hurt her again..._ever. _I love her, April is my life and I'll make sure she knows that" he said truthfully.

Libby smiled back; "Good. Now go tell her that, god knows you've wasted too much time dancing around each other"

Jackson grinned widely; "Don't mind if I do" he said before turning on his heels.

Libby crossed her arms on top of her chest and watches as Jackson walked briskly towards April's room; "The right prince came around after all" she said.

April heard the door open but kept her eyes closed; "Were you able to talk to Mom and Dad?" she asked.

"April..."

April's eyes instantly snapped open upon hearing a familiar voice; she turned her head to the side and saw Jackson standing by the door. "Jackson, hey-"

"I want you and I love you too" Jackson blurted out.

April's eyes widen in shock; "W-what?"

Jackson walked towards the bed but kept his gaze firmly on April's; "That's what I was suppose to tell you the last time we talked but you didn't let me speak and keep cutting me of. Now it's my time to _talk_, will you listen?" he asked as he stopped at her bedside.

April was only able to nod.

"I love you and I always have and that's the truth. I don't know when it exactly happened and how it happened-all I know is that I'm so much in love with you that I can't even see straight right now. I tried to hide it and kept convincing myself that we're better off as friends because I somehow managed to stupidly convince myself that if I give in to these feelings I might end up losing you. I hid what I felt behind our friendship and ignored what my heart has been telling me for the longest time because I was a coward. I was afraid to admit that I wanted you too because I'm scared that if I say it out loud then the universe will conspire and take you away from me-like how they took away my dad" Jackson paused and let out a sad smile. "I have abandonment issues and I swear I'm not saying that because I want it to justify my actions because nothing I say will. I'm only mentioning it now because I just want you understand why it took me so long to say it back and why it scared me shitless when you told me how you feel. I'm not good at relationships because I'm emotionally stunted; I'm only good at building walls and pushing the people I love most behind it. I'm not repeating that mistake April, this time I'm letting you in" he paused again and took a deep breath. He shifted closer to the bed and sat down; he gently grasped April's had and laced their fingers together. "Because I realized that my love for you is far greater than that fear. After what happened with me in the bus and you on the site, I understand Mark now-he's right when he told me that life is too short to be second guessing my feelings. I know this is not the right time to ask you this because you just had brain surgery and your mind might still be fuzzy but I can no longer wait; I love you so much April and I want you with me. I promise you now that if you take me back, _I'm all in_-I'm yours completely. Give me another chance to love you the way I should have and I'll try my damnest to make you happy-just take this leap of fate with me, let's go for broke _together_ this time-be- with me?"

* * *

_**A/N: Boom! ^-^ A cliffy for an ending, I know I'm evil but I can't help it! What do you think Jackson means when he said "He's all in"? Will April take him back? Is this the start of the most coveted happy ending? Tell me what you think and leave a review, you know how I love hearing from you guys! ^-^ And oh just to give you a clue about my next chapter, the title will be: "LIKE YOU'LL NEVER SEE ME AGAIN", Till next time! Cheers!**_


	11. Like you'll never see me again

**Chapter Eleven: Like you'll never see me again**

"_**If I had no more time, no more time left to be here. Would you cherish what we had? Was it everything that you were looking for? If I couldn't feel your touch and no longer were you with me. I'd be wishing you were here to be everything that I'd be looking for..."**_

* * *

oOo

* * *

A famous author once wrote that _love _is never having to say your say sorry. April was sceptical when she first came across that line because ever since she fell in love, she's been feeling sorry for a lot of things, but now, seeing Jackson sitting right in front of her and asking her to take a chance with him-that statement can't be truer, she can never be sorry for falling in love with him.

April blinked a couple of times, she then leaned back on her pillows and blinked some more.

Jackson stared at the red head with alarm; "April? Are you alright?"

April's eyes started pooling with tears and before Jackson can say another word she burst out crying.

Jackson shifted closer and gently gathered her into his arms; "Hey...calm down...I'm sorry-I didn't mean to make you cry..." he whispered while rubbing her back soothingly.

April fisted Jackson's scrub top with her hands as she buries her face into his neck; "I'm-I'm so mad at you right now-I'm so mad-I'm crying..." she sputtered.

Jackson cringed; "I'm sorry love...please don't cry..."

April tightened her grasp and cried harder; "I-I'm-so-mad at you-I want to-deck you" she hiccupped.

Jackson can't help but chuckle at April's words; "Will decking me make you feel better?" he murmured.

April pulled away and glared at Jackson through tears; she sniffed loudly and cleared the lump in her throat. "Are you laughing at me?"

Jackson cupped April's face and began wiping her cheeks; "Of course I'm not-I'm just so happy to see that you're almost back to normal"

April swatted his hand away and began wiping her cheeks; she then sniffed before frowning at Jackson. "You're not getting off the hook that easy."

"I know and I don't plan to" Jackson said earnestly. He then slowly grasp April's hands and stared directly into her eyes; "I've fucked up everything between us and I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am because I seriously don't know where to start. I've hurt you so much and I know I'll have to work hard to make it up to you, to make things right-so, please believe me when I say that I'll try my best to win you over, to prove to you that I deserve the second chance I'm asking you..."

"I-I think you have forgotten something..."

"What?" Jackson asked.

April sniffed; "You already have a girlfriend remember-Sadie?"

"About that-Sadie and I, we broke up. That's what I've been wanting to tell you for days now but I keep on missing my chance" Jackson explained.

April's eyes widen as her mouth hangs open, clearly in shock.

Jackson squeezed April's hand comfortingly; "It's not your fault so don't even think about blaming yourself. It was wrong of me to start a relationship with her when I'm clearly in love with you and I explained that to her-I apologized profusely and she accepted, so we're good" he explained.

"I-I don't know what to say..." April mumbled.

Jackson smiled; "You don't have to say anything sweetheart...I'll wait" he said sincerely.

April coughed involuntarily upon hearing the _second_ endearment coming out of Jackson's mouth.

Jackson's eyes widen; he then leaned forward and placed his hand on April's forehead gently. "You're coughing, I'll page Cristina to check on you-you might have caught something, you're also warm" he said with a worried frown.

April swallowed hard and cleared her throat; "I'm okay-Derek will check on me later, I'll just tell him" she said.

Jackson shook his head and stood up from his perch; "You need a Cardio consult and I'm quite sure Shepherd will be paging her too."

"Jackson-"

"No buts April," Jackson said sternly.

"She's only been awake for a couple of minutes and you're already arguing?"

Jackson and April both turned towards the door and saw Lexie and Mark standing outside her room.

"April is coughing, I'll go page Yang" Jackson said before spinning on his heels and walking towards the door hurriedly.

April rolled her eyes; "He's over reacting, I just coughed once"

Mark frowned as he steps into the room; he made his way towards the bed and pulled the stethoscope out of his lab coat pocket. He hooked it on his ears and placed the other end on April's chest; "Take a deep breath for me Kepner" he instructed.

April sighed; "I'm really okay and-"

"Be a good patient and just listen to your doctor, take a deep breath" Mark said sternly.

April pursed her lips but followed Mark obediently.

"Another" Mark said as he moves the stethoscope. After a moment, he pulled away and slung it around his neck; "Everything is normal" he said.

"I told you so"

Lexie shook her head as she walks towards the bed; she opted to go to the other side since Mark pretty much took all of the space. She carefully sat herself at her friend's side, minding the IV lines; she then placed her hand on top of April's hand and stared at her intently. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

April turned her gaze to Lexie and smiled; "I'm okay, I don't feel like I've been squashed by the front porch" she joked.

Lexie winced; "I understand now how you felt upon hearing my answer when you asked me the same question after the plane crash"

April can't help but chuckle at Lexie's words.

Lexie smiled; "I'm _really _glad that you're okay...you gave us quite a scare there."

April grasp Lexie's hand and gave it a squeeze; "I'm glad to be okay too..." she replied.

Lexie squeezed April's hand back; "I shouldn't have let you leave that day-I had this ominous feeling inside my chest but I chose to ignore it and blamed it on my PTSD. If I only told you how I felt perhaps you wouldn't be lying here..." she said guiltily.

April shook her head; "Don't think that way Lex...it isn't your fault. It isn't anybody's fault, ride alongs and I don't really go well, I guess"

Mark scoffed; "That's your last ride along Kepner, kiss ambulances goodbye because you're not getting near one again..._ever._"

April turned her face towards Mark; "I'm a Trauma Surgeon, I'll have to go near one to get to my patient's"

Mark contemplated April's words for a moment before looking at her thoughtfully; "You're right but you're not setting foot inside a _moving_ one-you're forever banned from riding them."

Lexie nodded in agreement; "You and ambulances don't mix well, better stay away from them"

"Pretty Boy wasn't kidding, Sleeping Beauty is now awake"

April peered behind Mark's back and saw Cristina entering the room with Jackson in tow; "You really paged her?" she asked in disbelief.

"I did, you were coughing awhile ago and I don't want to take chances of you getting any infection" Jackson explained.

"I coughed because you called me _sweetheart _and _love, _I'm not used to endearments coming out of your mouth!" April blurted out. She then felt her eyes widen as her cheeks started to flush; she rested her head back on her pillow and closed her eyes. "Oh god, I didn't just say that out loud"

Mark laughed boisterously while Lexie bit her bottom lip to keep herself from giggling.

Jackson felt his cheeks flush so he bowed his head and cleared his throat.

Cristina threw April an amused look before walking towards her bedside; "Don't be too hard on Prince Charming, he's just worried that his kiss might not be enough to make you feel better-he's feeling a little _inadequate_" she said.

"Hey!" Jackson yelped.

April eyes snapped open; she turned her head sideways and stared at Cristina. "What do you mean kiss?"

Cristina smirked as she tugs the stethoscope off her neck; "The kiss of true love of course, the one you see in Disney movies" she replied. She then hooked it on her ears and placed the other end on April's chest; "Take deep breath for me now"

April ignored Cristina and narrowed her eyes at Jackson; "Did you kiss me while I was unconscious?"

Jackson looked affronted; "Of course not! I wouldn't take advantage of you that way!"

"If you aren't already injured I'd smack you, I asked you to breath and not talk" Cristina said, clearly not impressed by being ignored.

April threw Cristina a sheepish look; "Sorry" she mumbled before following the other surgeon's instruction.

Cristina listened for a couple of seconds before pulling the stethoscope away; "There's nothing wrong with your lungs, as far as I'm concerned it's all good" she said. She then turned her head towards Jackson and smirked; "It may have been your endearment that caused her to choke" she said.

Jackson face flushed even brighter; he cleared his throat and shifted in his feet. "Oh okay..."

Cristina turned her gaze towards April again; "McSteamy is right, you're forever banned from ambulances, you don't mix well with ride alongs"

"I know" April said.

Cristina shoved her hands inside her pocket and threw April one of her rarest smiles; "I'm glad you're okay Kepner"

April smiled back; "Thank you" she replied.

"Well, as much as I want to stay here and chat, I still have a couple of patient's to check on" Cristina said. She then gestured towards the door; "I'll head out and try to find Owen, I'll tell him that you're already awake" she said.

April nodded; "Okay, thanks for checking on me"

Cristina waved her hand dismissively; "Stop thanking me, it's okay" she said before turning on her heels and walking towards the door.

Lexie stood up from her perch; "Well, I better head out, I also have to finish my rounds"

"Thank you for dropping by Lex" April said.

Lexie smiled; "Get well soon Apes, I'll drop by again later" she said before rounding the bed and walking towards the door.

"Kepner I'll be back with Shepherd and Hunt later to do some post ops, so rest" Mark said as a reminder.

April threw Mark a confused look; "Aren't resident's supposed to do my post ops?" she asked.

"We're handling this case personally so there's no need for pesky residents" Mark said. He then turned on his heels and followed his fiancé; "I'll leave you to my boy and please stop arguing, you need to rest" he said.

"Yeah-sure" April replied.

Jackson waited for Mark to fully leave the room before making his way towards the April's bed again; he stood at the side and stared at April directly. "I'm sorry if calling you sweetheart made you feel uncomfortable...it just slipped out and I promise not to use anymore endearments"

April met Jackson's gaze, her cheeks flushing red; "I-it's not that it made me feel uncomfortable-it just caught me off guard...I'm not used to you calling me pet names" she admitted bashfully.

Jackson felt a smile tug on his lips; "Okay..."

April let out a small smile before yawning tiredly.

"I should let you rest-you just woke up and you still need to recuperate" Jackson said.

April nodded; "Yeah-I'm a little bit tired..."

Jackson stared at April for a moment before clearing his throat, clearly nervous about what his about to ask next. "I-I know that everything is still on _pause_ right now but can I just kiss your forehead before I leave?"

April felt her breath hitch in her throat upon hearing Jackson's question; her heart and mind battling hard for the chance to answer his request. She shifted her eyes to meet Jackson's gaze and saw raw emotions swirling in them; she swallowed hard before nodding slowly, giving in to her heart's silent pleas.

Jackson let out the breath that he didn't know his holding before smiling gratefully at April; he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips on her forehead. He closed his eyes tightly and let all his pent up emotions seep through his lips; after a moment, he pulled away and opened his eyes. "I love you and I'll wait for your answer, take all the time you need"

"T-thank you..." April said breathily.

Jackson threw her a boyish smile; "I'll check on you again later, rest well" he said.

April nodded before closing her tired eyes; "See you later _Jackman"_ she whispered.

Jackson can't help but grin widely upon hearing her words.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Lexie! Come in here!"

Lexie turned her head to the side and saw her sister beckoning her forward; she placed her tab on top of the nurses' station and began walking towards the room. "Hey"

"I heard that April is awake, how is she? Have you seen her? How's her SATs and brain function?" Meredith asked.

Lexie smiled as she walks towards the bed; "She's awake and yes, I have seen her. Her SAT's are up and her mental faculties are intact" she said.

Meredith let out a relieved sigh; "Thank god!" she said. "Can you grab me a wheelchair Lex?"

Lexie sat near the footboard and threw her sister a confused look; "What do you need a wheelchair for?"

Meredith smiled meaningfully; "Can you be a good little sister and take me to April's room? I want to see her"

"Err-I don't think that's a good idea, you're still not allowed to move that much" Lexie replied.

"I'm not gonna move much, I just need to sit on a chair and you'll push me. I promise it won't take long, please?" Meredith said.

Lexie stared at her sister for a couple of seconds before hopping off her perch; "Fine. But if we get busted I'm blaming your ass" she said while walking towards the door.

"Thank you Lexie! You're the best sister in the world!"

Lexie chuckled; "No need to suck up Mer, I'm already getting you the blasted chair!"

Meredith laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I heard that Kepner's awake" Owen said as he watches Jackson walked towards him.

Jackson let out a small smile; "She is"

Owen smiled back; "Good, I'll check on her later"

Jackson leaned forward and grabbed himself a tab; "Yeah..."

"There's one thing I also need to talk to you about" Owen said.

"What's it about?" Jackson asked as he taps on the screen.

"Board stuff" Owen replied.

Jackson grimaced; "Yeah, can it wait?"

"Yeah it can and oh, before I forget. Remember Cara McAdams? your pro-bono facial reconstruction surgery with Mark?" Owen asked.

Jackson tore his eyes away from his tab and stared at Owen; "Yeah, what's up with that?"

Owen placed his hands around his waist; "We need to push that surgery back, we don't have enough funds to support it."

Jackson frowned; "That can't be, Sloan and I checked it before hand"

"It's actually related to the thing I need to talk to you about. All funds are being re-allocated to storm repairs until further notice" Owen explained.

"What? Who said that?" Jackson asked.

"The board did, so it's you guys" Owen replied.

"But this surgery was booked way before the storm" Jackson explained.

Owen sighed; "I know but I don't make the rules here, I just get to implement them"

Jackson placed his tab on top of the counter before placing his hands around his waist; "Is there anything we can do? I mean, this lady really needs this surgery..."

Owen thought for a moment; "Well, let's see...You can do 3 liposuctions today-I'm quite sure that can pay for Cara's facial reconstruction. The money needs to come from somewhere and that's the only high paying surgery in Plastics that we can derive funds from"

"So-if Mark and I agreed to suck fat, we can push through with this surgery?" Jackson asked.

Owen nodded; "Yeah,"

Jackson sighed; "Fine, we'll do it. I'll go talk to Mark and tell him. Can you reschedule our surgery first thing tomorrow morning?"

"O.R 4 is yours" Owen said.

Jackson let out a small smile; "Thanks"

"You're welcome"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Promise me if it looks to gnarly, you'll just close him up" Alex said as he places the retractor on the patient's chest.

"Will you stop wringing your hands?" Cristina reprimanded.

"I can't help it, this kid has been my patient for a very long time" Alex replied.

"I know and I'll try my best so take a chill pill" Cristina said.

Alex took a deep breath and shifted his eyes back to the open chest cavity; "April's awake, did you see her already?" he asked, changing the topic.

"Yeah, Pretty boy paged me to check on her just a couple of minutes ago" Cristina replied. She then turned towards Boki; "Forceps please?"

Alex furrowed his brows; "Why?"

"She had a coughing fit and he was scared that she might have caught something"

"Did she?"

Cristina met Alex's gaze, her eyes twinkling with mirth; "Nope, she's on the clear. Kepner choked because Pretty boy called her _sweetheart_"

Alex guffawed.

Cristina laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I think you have another visitor Apple" Libby said while gesturing towards the door.

April turned her head to the side and her eyes widened in surprise; "Mer! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"

"I wanted to check on you" Meredith said with a smile.

Lexie wheeled her sister inside the room and parked her wheelchair close to April's bed; "I'll be back in a few," she said.

Meredith threw her sister a side glance; "Thanks Lex!" she said.

Lexie rolled her eyes but a smile is visible on her lips.

Libby stood up from her perch and gestured towards the door; "I'll grab something to eat, I'll be back in a couple of minutes"

April nodded; "Okay"

Libby smiled at Meredith before stepping out of the room.

"Where are you parents?" Meredith asked.

"They're at their hotel, they'll be here tomorrow morning" April replied.

Meredith nodded; "How are you feeling?"

April let out a small smile; "I actually don't feel anything, pain killers are heaven sent"

Meredith chuckled; "I know, I had to rely on them after I had my surgery too. Now we can say that we know how it feels to be on the other end of a scalpel"

April laughed.

Meredith's smile slowly faded as a serious look took over her face; "What you did was dangerous Apes..."

April's smile faltered; "I know..."

"But I also know you did that to save a little boy's life"

April nodded; "I just couldn't leave him there-he was so young and he has a full life ahead of him"

Meredith leaned forward and placed her hand on top of April's hand; "You are a good person and you did the right thing" she said. She then let out a small smile; "But next time that you decide to be a good person, please deviate from life threatening situations? Can you do that?"

April smiled back at her friend; "I promise"

Meredith squeezed April's hand; "No more ride alongs for you Kepner"

"Not you too" April said while rolling her eyes playfully.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Our pro-bono surgery will be pushed tomorrow morning" Jackson said as he enters Mark's office.

Mark tore his eyes away from his tab; "Why?" he asked with furrowed brows.

Jackson sat on the chair right in front of the desk; "We don't have enough funds to do it" he explained. "And oh, we need to suck fat today to be able to go through with it tomorrow"

Mark grimaced; "Why don't we have funds?"

Jackson leaned back on his chair and crossed his legs; "All pro-bono surgeries will be pushed back because the funds we originally allotted for them will be used for storm repairs"

"Who implemented that rule?"

"Us"

Mark frowned; "I don't remember discussing that, do you?"

Jackson sighed; "It hasn't been discussed yet by us but it looks like it's an old policy of the old board."

Mark leaned back on his chair and nodded in understanding; "I see" he replied. "How many liposuctions do we need to do to cover for Cara's surgery?"

"Three"

"Damn that's a lot" Mark said.

"My thoughts exactly" Jackson replied.

Mark stared at his prot; "Do you want to do it together or do you want to do it separately?"

Jackson thought for a moment; "We need to do at least 3-why don't we do one of each and do the last one together?" he suggested.

"You're a smart boy Avery" Mark complimented.

"I know"

Mark stood up from his perch; "Since we'll be sucking fat all afternoon, I might as well page Owen and Derek so we can work on Kepner"

Jackson also stood up; "You'll do the post ops now?"

Mark nodded; "Yup, want to come?"

Jackson averted his gaze and shifted in his feet; "I'm not sure if she'll want me there..."

"Why?"

Jackson scratched the back of his neck anxiously; "I kinda told her I love her and I want her with me"

Mark's eyes widen in shock; "You what?"

Jackson met Mark's gaze; "I confessed my feelings and went for broke-just like what you told me to."

Mark quickly rounded his table and stood right in front of Jackson; he grinned widely before giving his prot a congratulatory hug. "Atta boy! I'm so proud of you!"

Jackson patted his mentor's back somewhat awkwardly; "Err-thanks?"

Mark thumped Jackson's back before pulling away; "What did she say? Are you two officially together?"

Jackson sighed; "We're not..."

Mark's smile faltered; "Why?"

"She's still mad at me and she wants to deck me" Jackson said with a wince.

Mark blinked a couple of times before bursting out laughing; "She wants to deck you?" he asked in disbelief.

Jackson pursed his lips; "It's not funny so stop laughing!"

Mark placed his hands on his hips while shaking his head in amusement; "I can't blame her, you deserved a good smack"

"Hey!" Jackson protested.

Mark stared at Jackson; "Well you do. She told you she loves you twice and all you did was run for the hills, you can't just expect her to let you off the hook that easy."

"I know that" Jackson said glumly. "And I told her that I'll wait and do whatever it takes to deserve that second chance I'm asking her"

Mark nodded approvingly; "Good."

"Can you just give me an update after you do her post ops? I really don't think she'd want me there..."

Mark began walking towards the door; "You don't even have to ask, of course I'll tell you."

"Thank you..."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Time's up guys" Lexie said as she enters her friend's room.

Meredith turned her face towards the door and smiled; "We're done," she said.

Lexie stopped behind Meredith and placed her hands on each handle; "Did you have fun talking with Mer?"

"I did, we talked about the wonders of pain killers" April said.

"Pain killers are god gift to men" Lexie said seriously.

April beamed; "Exactly my point"

Lexie chuckled; "Well, I better take her back to her room, we don't want her husband thinking that his wife has been abducted"

Meredith waved her hand dismissively; "He knows where to find me"

"That I do"

All three surgeons shifted their eyes towards the door and saw Derek, Owen and Mark standing by the door.

"Busted" Lexie mumbled with a wince.

Derek can't help but chuckle at Lexie's reaction; "I'm not mad, I already knew that I can't keep her away from April's room" he said as he steps inside the room.

Meredith winked at Lexie; "Told you he knows" she said.

Lexie rolled her eyes; "It's good that he knows" she said. She then tugged on the wheelchair and began hauling it backwards; "We have to go, they need space to check on Apes" she explained.

Meredith waved at April; "I'll soon be discharged, I'll visit you again and I'll bring our new baby"

April chuckled; "As much as I want to see your baby, you can't bring one inside the ICU" she said as she watches her friend being wheeled away.

"Nope but you can sneak one in" Mark said with a large grin.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that" Owen said as he walks towards April's bed.

"Come on Hunt, a rule doesn't apply to us" Mark said playfully.

Owen rolled his eyes; "That's why I said I'll _pretend _I didn't hear that"

Derek laughed; "The plane crash addled your brain, you're slow" he teased.

"Oh" Mark said.

Owen stood beside April's bed and placed his hands on his hips; "How are you feeling?"

April smiled at her mentor sheepishly; "It depends if you're gonna scold me"

Owen stared at the red head for a moment before sighing; "I'm still mad at you because you broke protocol and it almost killed you but at the same time I'm proud of you too because you did it to save a life. I'm also happy because I'm talking to you right now and you're brain faculty seems to be fine, so I'm really torn between those three emotions, I think I'm at impasse."

April threw Owen a rueful look; "I'm sorry Chief, I promise not to play hero again and I'll just stick with pit duties, no more ride alongs for me" she said sincerely.

"She finally got it!" Mark said.

"You're really _banned_ from ambulances April, you can't go near them anymore" Derek said with a small smile.

April threw Derek a smile; "You're like the 6th person to tell me that"

"And I'll be the 7th, that's your last ride along" Owen said firmly.

April shifted her eyes back to Owen and nodded timidly; "Yes Chief" she said.

"Now that we have established that, let's get this show on the road, I still need to suck tons of fat" Mark said jovially.

* * *

"_**I don't wanna forget the present is a gift and I don't wanna take for granted the time you may have here with me 'cause Lord only knows another day is not really guaranteed..."**_

* * *

"Thank you Doctors" Libby said sincerely. She then stepped into the room and closed the door behind her; "You're really popular here Apple, you've been receiving visitors every few minutes" she said as she walks towards her little sisters bed.

April opened her eyes and smiled tiredly at Libby; "They're like my second family here..." she said.

Libby settled herself at the foot of the bed and smiled; "That's good to hear, at least now I'm complacent that a bunch of people is looking after you" she said.

"Yeah" April replied.

"Your doctors told me that all your tests came back good; you didn't sustain any damages on your head which is miraculous since you hit your head pretty hard"

"Thank god" April said.

Libby leaned back on the footboard of the bed while eyeing April; "Yeah..."

April stared at Libby for a moment before wrinkling her nose; "Out with it, I know you want to say something" she said.

Libby crossed her arms on top of her chest; "So...I've talked to Jackson..."

April's eyes widen; "You did? What did you tell him?"

"Nothing he doesn't already know" Libby replied.

"What did you tell him? Oh god!"

Libby rolled her eyes; "Calm down Apple, I didn't say things that will incriminate you. I just told him that I'll gut him like a pig if he hurts you again"

April covered her face with her hands; "I can't believe you told him that! It's embarrassing!"

Libby leaned forward and patted her little sister's thigh softly; "He had it coming Apple and he didn't take it in a bad way so don't worry" she re-assured. "I'm actually quite impressed, he didn't cower in fear-he faced me straight on and promised me that he'll never hurt you again and oh, he did mention that you are his _everything" _

April pulled her hands away from her face, revealing her flushed cheeks; "He-he told you that?"

Libby nodded; "He did, he's got it bad for you" she said with a teasing smirk.

April smiled shyly at her sister; "He-he did tell me that he's in love with me..." she admitted.

"He did tell me that too" Libby said while winking.

April began fumbling with her blanket; "He asked me for a chance... a do-over, he told me that he understands that I'm not letting him off the hook easy and he's gonna try to do his best to deserve the second chance he's asking..."

"That's wonderful Apple! Did you tell him that you'll give him a chance?"

April averted her gaze; "Err-no, I told him that I want to rest..."

Libby wrinkled her nose in distaste; "You're running away from him"

April's eyes widen in shock; "I'm not!"

"You are" Libby simply said.

"What gave you that idea?" April challenged.

"Your reaction"

"But-but I haven't even thought about running away! I was shocked and I just had my skull drilled open! I need time to process everything first and-"

Libby rolled her eyes; "And you're making excuses..._again_" she said, cutting her sister off mid rant. "I thought that being in an accident will make you realize that life is too short to be _wishy-washy_ but I'm clearly mistaken"

"I'm not _wishy-washy_!"

Libby sat straight and stared at April with full seriousness; "Stop dancing around with him; you love him and he loves you, you're on the same page so just get together-you've already wasted enough time"

April bowed her head and stared at her lap; "I know that..."

Libby leaned forward and gathered her little sister's hand in hers; "Don't be scared to put your heart out again just because you've been hurt, who knows, maybe the 3rd time is really a charm"

April can't help but smile at her sister's words; "Does that saying apply to my love life too?"

Libby smiled back; "It's still better than your metaphors"

April giggled.

Libby squeezed April's hand; "Talk to him and make things right, I want you to be happy."

April took a deep breath before nodding; "Yeah...I think I will..."

"Good girl"

"Can I take a nap first? I'm kinda knackered" April said with a yawn.

Libby stood up from her perch; "Sleep away beauty, I'm gonna go check on mom and dad"

April yawned again; "Go back to your hotel and come back tomorrow morning with them. I'm quite sure I'll be sailing with pain killers tonight so I'm not gonna be a good company"

"Are you sure? I can stay longer if you want" Libby offered.

April shook her head; "No its okay, visiting hours is almost over anyway..."

Libby shifted closer to the bed and planted a soft kiss on April's forehead; "Okay, I'll be back with them tomorrow morning. Ask them to call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay..."

"Love you Duckie" Libby said.

April groaned; "Love you too"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You're scrubbing in with us?" Jackson asked when he saw Lexie inside the scrub room.

Lexie turned her face sideways and smirked; "Yeah, I have nothing better to do"

Jackson walked towards the sink and began scrubbing; "No mind blowing surgery with Shepherd?"

"Nope"

"You guys are early" Mark said as he enters the room.

"Yeah, I just can't get enough of sucking fat" Jackson said sarcastically.

Mark fell into step with Jackson and bumped his shoulder with his; "We're doing this for a cause so don't pout too much"

Jackson shook of the excess water from his hands and turned towards Mark; "Sucking fat for a cause, we should use that as our new slogan" he said with a grin.

Mark cocked his head to the side; "That idea doesn't sound bad, people will stop looking down on us" he said thoughtfully.

Lexie rolled her eyes as she makes her way towards the O.R. door; "Stop being sloppy and let's get this over with, I still need to visit April!" she said before stepping in.

Mark raised his hands up; "You heard the boss, let's go now" he said before walking towards the door.

"Whipped" Jackson snickered.

"I heard that Avery!" Mark said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I talked with Owen, we have a Board meeting tonight" Derek said as he enters his wife's room.

Meredith shifted her eyes away from her baby and stared at her husband; "Where are we supposed to have this meeting?" she asked.

Derek sat on Meredith's bedside and smiled at the tiny bundle in her arms; "I'm not sure yet," he replied.

"Do you have an idea what the meeting is about?"

"Budgeting, storm repairs" Derek replied before cooing at their baby. "Can I hold him?"

Meredith nodded and gently placed Mark on his father's waiting arms; "More paper works, perfect" she said.

Derek coddled his son to his chest; "It's not that bad, we just have to decide the repairs we need to prioritize."

"If you say so" Meredith replied. "I'll still be discharged tomorrow, right?"

"Yep,"

"Good, I'm sick of this bed" Meredith said with disdain.

Derek chuckled.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson cleared his throat; "So...what happened to April's post ops?" he asked.

Mark paused and shifted his eyes to his prot; "Shoot, I almost forgot, sorry-everything is alright. Derek did his standard neuro tests and Kepner passed with flying colors, her incisions are also healing quite well so we can move her off the ICU" he said.

Jackson nodded; "I'll arrange a room for her then,"

"It's a private room, right?" Lexie asked.

Jackson threw Lexie an affronted look; "Of course it's a private room, I'm not about to send her to the ward"

Lexie giggled; "Calm down lover boy, I'm just messing with you"

"I can't believe you fell for that" Mark said with a chuckle.

Jackson glared at the couple standing right in front of him; "I'm never operating with you two again"

The O.R door flung open as Owen peered in; "You guys almost done here?" he asked.

Mark turned his eyes towards the door; "Yep, we're finishing up. Why?"

"Just reminding you guys that we have a board meeting at 7" Owen said.

"West wing conference room?" Jackson asked.

"Err-that's what we haven't decided yet-I still need to check with Shepherd, Mer is still confined"

"Can we have it inside her room? She has a big room" Lexie suggested.

"The room doesn't have enough chairs" Mark replied.

Owen thought for a moment; "That's actually not a bad idea, I can ask someone to bring some chairs inside" he said.

Lexie threw her fiancé a triumphant look.

Mark shifted his eyes to his prot; "We're not operating with her again"

Jackson laughed loudly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Nice...I didn't know we can have board meetings outside the conference room, this is much comfortable" Cristina said as she plops down on Meredith's bed.

Meredith chuckled while scooting to her left to provide more space "I don't know if I should feel special or annoyed about it"

Cristina reclined back on her best friend's pillow and smirked; "You should be annoyed"

"You shouldn't be annoyed; we're actually doing this because we need to and you'll be discharged tomorrow, look at the brighter side" Owen said as he pushes the last chair inside the room.

Meredith playfully narrowed her eyes at the Trauma Surgeon; "Sweet talking me won't get you anywhere Hunt"

Owen chuckled; he then began placing folders on top of each chair.

"What's that honey?" Cristina asked.

Owen turned towards the bed and handed each woman a piece; "It's a list of the things we need to talk about" he replied.

Meredith opened her folder and began scanning it; after a moment, she wrinkled her nose and turned her head sideways. "Your pseudo husband is on a roll"

Cristina didn't even bother opening her folder and placed it on her lap; "We'll get through it in a breeze, we all know Mr. 51% would rather spend his idle time inside Kepner's room"

Meredith shifted closer to Cristina and lowered her voice; "Speaking of those two, do you know if there's still something going on between them? I heard from some nurses around here that Jackson almost tore the O.R down when he found out that April got hurt? I wasn't able to ask him yet because I'm sure as hell that he'll deny it and Derek refuses to talk about it"

Cristina turned her face to Meredith; "I was operating with Alex the same time that they brought Kepner in, I heard some distinct shouting outside and I'm very positive that Little Grey was the one who received the brunt of Avery's wrath"

"We should ask Lexie then?" Meredith asked.

Cristina nodded; "I think she's our best bet"

Meredith nodded in agreement; "We'll pry the information out from her"

"Your wife and my ex wife seem to be in a deep serious conversation, should we get worried?" Owen asked as Derek saunters in.

Derek threw his wife and her best friend a look before turning his gaze back to Owen; "They're just gossiping"

"How do you know the difference?" Owen asked, clearly baffled.

"Simple, they don't a have a tequila bottle between them" Derek said with a smirk.

"Oh"

"If you guys are thinking about tequila, can I at least have a glass of club soda?" Richard asked.

Owen peered behind Derek's back; "I got us some bottled water" he replied.

Richard chuckled; "Is everyone here already?"

"Nope. Mark, Lexie, Jackson and Arizona aren't here yet" Derek replied.

"I'm here"

Richard turned around and saw Arizona smiling brightly behind them; "1 down, 3 to go then" he observed.

"I saw Lexie, Mark and Jackson scrubbing out, they won't take long" Arizona replied.

Owen pointed towards the hallway; "They're actually here, let's all get inside so we can start this" he said.

* * *

"_**So every time you hold me, hold me like this is the last time. Every time you kiss me, kiss me like you'll never see me again. Every time you touch me, touch me like this is the last time, promise that you'll love me, love me like you'll never see me again..."**_

* * *

April groggily opened her eyes and swallowed hard; she turned her head to the side and blinked a couple of times. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long...did I wake you?" Jackson asked.

April shook her head; "No...I woke up on my own" she croaked. "Why are you just standing there?"

Jackson shifted in his feet; "I-I didn't want to disturb you...I'm actually just checking on you"

"You're watching me sleep?"

"Err-kinda, but I'm not a creeper or anything" Jackson said with an embarrassed smile.

April can't help but giggle at his statement.

"I should let you rest..."

April thought about Libby's words; "Why don't you sit with me for a while? I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep yet..."

Jackson's eyes widen in surprise; "Are-are you sure?"

April let out a teasing smile; "Bashfulness doesn't suite you _Jackman_"

Jackson chuckled; he then stepped into the room and made his way towards April's bed. He stood at the side and smiled; "Being cheeky now Kepner?"

April laughed.

Jackson shoved his hands inside his lab coat pockets; "Mark told me that you passed all your tests with flying colors, they're thinking about moving you out of this floor" he said.

"Really?"

Jackson nodded; "Really"

"I'm glad" April said with a relieved sigh. She then furrowed her brows and eyed Jackson; "Err-You can sit down on my bed, you know-it's alright"

Jackson met April's gaze; "You sure? You're not gonna be uncomfortable?"

April rolled her eyes; "I wouldn't ask you to come here if you're making me uncomfortable"

Jackson let out a nervous laugh as he sits himself down, keeping a respectable distance between them.

April threw Jackson an amused look; "You're the one who looks uncomfortable"

Jackson shook his head; "I'm not..."

"You sure?"

Jackson smiled; "Yep, I'm quite comfortable here"

"If you say so" April said. She then shifted in her pillows and cleared her throat; "Libby told me that you guys talked..."

Jackson cringed upon remembering his unexpected encounter with the eldest Kepner sister; "Yeah...I kinda bumped into her along the hallways..."

"You told her about your feelings..."

Jackson felt his cheeks redden with embarrassment; "Yeah..."

April swallowed hard; "So...you really want _this_? You're serious about _us_?"

Jackson peered into April's eyes with full seriousness; "I _want_ this April-I want _us_. I haven't been this _sure _in my entire life..."

April felt her heart skip a beat upon hearing his confession; it's the very first time she heard him speak about his feelings freely and it's making her reel-big time. He was really not kidding when he told her that he's _all in _and it's just starting to sink in; she felt butterflies storming inside her stomach, a warm tingly feeling settling in her chest.

"April?"

"Wow..." April breathed out.

"Wow?"

"Yeah...everything you said is just starting to sink in...It's just-wow"

Jackson can't help but smile; "Can I hold your hand?" he blurted out.

April bit her bottom lip, clearly contemplating his question.

"But it's okay if you don't want to, I'd totally understand..." Jackson back pedalled.

"_Stop dancing around with him; you love him and he loves you, you're on the same page so just get together-you've already wasted enough time. Don't be scared to put your heart out again just because you've been hurt, who knows, maybe the 3__rd__ time is really a charm" _Libby's words echoed loudly in her ears again. She took a deep breath before meeting Jackson's eyes; "You can hold my hand _Jackman_" she said with a smile.

Jackson didn't waste time; he gently placed his hand with hers and laced their finger's together. "This is the first time we've held hands" he said thoughtfully.

"Really?"

Jackson nodded; "Yeah" he said. He then lifted their clasped hands to his eye level and stared at it; "And our hands fit perfectly together"

April guffawed.

Jackson smiled; "Too cheesy?"

"Yeah" April said with a grin.

Jackson tugged their hands to his lips and planted a chaste kiss at the back of April's hand; "I love you April and I'm not scared to say it out loud now, will you let me show you?" he asked while staring into her eyes.

April's eyes widen as her cheeks started to redden; "I don't understand-how-I'm not yet-what-"  
she stuttered.

Jackson read April's reaction clearly; "I'm not talking about sex Kepner, get your head out of the gutter!" he teased.

"Oh!" April gasped, her whole face burning with embarrassment.

"You're more beautiful when you blush" Jackson said fondly.

April averted her gaze; "Stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"Stop saying those things...I'm not used to hearing you say those things..."

Jackson moved up the bed; "Look at me"

April slowly shifted her eyes back to Jackson; "Why?"

Jackson met April's eyes; "I'm in love with a brilliant, _gorgeous_ Trauma Surgeon and I won't get tired reminding her that every day."

April sucked in breath; "You really love me, huh?"

"More than you can imagine" Jackson replied.

April felt like her chest is gonna burst with so much emotion, so before she knows it-she's leaning forward and kissing Jackson like her life depended on it.

Jackson smiled between the kiss before shifting closer to April; he gently pushed her back to her pillow to make her more comfortable, he then leaned forward and began kissing her back with the same vigour.

April gripped the lapels of Jackson's lab coat to pull him closer; she was tugging on it hard when she accidentally elbowed her abdomen, causing her to yelp in pain.

Jackson hastily pulled away; "What happened? Are you alright?" he asked with panic.

April closed her eyes as she tries to ride out the pain.

"April? Tell me? What's wrong?" Jackson asked frantically.

April swallowed hard before opening her eyes; "Elbowed-incision-hurts..." she sputtered.

"Shit! I'm so sorry!" Jackson shot up from his perch and began surveying his surrounding; "Let me just get some gloves so I can check on your incision" he said. He then shoved his hands inside his lab coat pocket to get his sanitizer but found out that it's not there; "I forgot to bring my sanitizer-I need to-"

"Stop panicking" April said with a wince. "Breathe"

Jackson took a deep breath.

"It's not your fault, I elbowed myself-I got carried away. I'm sure this is nothing"

Jackson shook his head; "No-we'll have to check on it. I'll go get some gloves and check it-just stay there" he said before storming towards the door.

April can't help but giggle; "As if I can go anywhere" she mumbled to herself. "Ouch"

"I should've been more careful with her, damn it!" Jackson said as he steps out of the room.

"What did you do?"

Jackson's head snapped to his left and saw Lexie walking towards him; he mentally cursed before turning towards the resident. "I need to check on April's incisions because it hurts, can you get me some gloves?" he asked.

Lexie stopped right in front of Jackson and furrowed her brows; "You can't check on her, she's not your patient-you're a loved one. I'll go page Hunt or Mark to check on her" she said.

"No need to page them, we just need to check on-"

"No buts!" Lexie said adamantly. She then took a side step and made a bee line towards the nurses' station; "Hey Anne, please page Dr. Hunt"

"Sorry Dr. Grey but Dr. Hunt is not on call tonight and his shift already ended a couple of minutes ago" Anne replied.

"Oh I see, can you page Dr. Sloan then?" Lexie said.

"Dr. Sloan is also not on call..." Anne replied.

Lexie threw an appeasing smile; "You can page him, he wouldn't mind. I'll be waiting just right here so you won't get into trouble."

"Okay" Anne replied before picking up the phone.

Lexie turned away from the counter and stared at her friend; "What really happened?"

"We were just talking and she-err, accidentally elbowed her abdomen"

Lexie studied Jackson's face and noticed his flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips; she placed her hands on her waist and raised her brow. "Just talking?"

Jackson cleared his throat; "Y—yeah, just talking"

Lexie smirked; "If you say so..."

"Your fiancé is walking this way" Jackson said while peering behind Lexie's shoulder.

Lexie quickly turned around; "Mark!" she called out.

Mark bypassed the nurses' station and walked directly towards Lexie; "You paged?" she asked.

"I did, can you check on April? Her incision hurts" Lexie explained.

Mark furrowed his brows and shifted his eyes to his prot; "What the hell happened?"

"We were talking and her incision hurts..." Jackson replied.

Mark raised his brow, clearly not buying Jackson's story; he then made his way towards his patient's room. "Get me some gloves and some dressing, I might need it" he said.

Jackson didn't need to be told twice; he hastily bolted towards the nearest supply closet.

Mark entered the room and saw April wincing; he made his way towards her bedside and placed his hands on his waist. "What did you guys do?"

April's eyes snapped open and turned her head sideways; "Dr. Sloan, I-what are you doing here?"

"Jackson told me that your incision hurts, what did you guys do?"

April felt her cheeks flush and quickly averted her gaze; "I-we-didn't do anything. We were just talking and then I accidentally elbowed my stomach"

Mark threw April an amused look; "You're really not good in lying" he said.

"I've got the gloves and supplies" Jackson said as he enters the room, Lexie in tow.

"Hey Apes!" Lexie chirped.

"Hey..." April said while throwing her friend a pained smile.

Jackson fell into step with Mark and handed him a glove; he then shifted his eyes to April and let out an apologetic smile.

April smiled back but cringed when Mark lifted her hospital gown.

Mark whistled; "You kids are barred from making out, you manage to make her wound bleed" he said.

"We're not making out!" April and Jackson said at the same time.

Lexie giggled; "Definitely making out" she concluded.

"Shut up Lex!" Jackson hissed, his cheeks flushing red.

Mark shook his head; "I need to change the dressing, its drenched" he said. He then turned towards Jackson and fixed him a stern look; "No ravishing my patient until we move her out of this floor, are we clear?"

Jackson swallowed hard; "Yeah-"

April covered her face with her hands; "This is so embarrassing!"

Mark chuckled; "No need to be embarrassed Kepner, I understand"

"That makes it much worse" Jackson mumbled to himself.

* * *

"_**How many really know what love is? Millions never will. Do you know until you lose it that it's everything that we are looking for. When I wake up in the morning, you're beside me. I'm so thankful that I found everything that I been looking for..."**_

* * *

A day has passed since the awkward incident and April has already been moved to her private room; her parents and her other sister's arrived the very next day and they show no signs of leaving her room anytime soon, much to April's chagrin. Jackson on the other hand tried his best to stay away from Mark and Lexie because they keep on badgering him for details which he's not about to give away. The moment he shared with April has put him up into a very good mood which clearly didn't go unnoticed by his peers; they keep throwing him knowing looks and he didn't even bother to hide his smiles.

"Pretty boy! Come over here!"

Jackson turned his head to the nurses' station and saw Cristina standing beside Meredith; he made his way towards his friends and fixed his eyes at the General Surgeon. "Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at home resting and enjoying your Maternity leave?"

Meredith waved her hand dismissively; "I'm bored to my wits end that's why I came here" she replied.

"Your idea of relieving boredom is going to the hospital?" Jackson asked with an amused look.

Meredith smiled; "It's my second home so, yes."

"Owen told me that we'll be having a party to raise money, is that true?" Cristina asked.

"Yup, a fund raising gala" Jackson replied.

Meredith wrinkled her nose; "Rubbing elbows with Richie Rich? Thank god I'm on maternity leave and I don't have to attend"

"If I'm forced to go, you will go" Cristina said.

Meredith turned her head to her best friend; "That party is for work and I'm not working so I'm not obligated to go"

"Err-you actually are, you're part of the board and it's important that we show them a united front" Jackson explained.

Meredith narrowed her eyes at the Plastics Attending; "Does my husband know this?"

Jackson nodded; "He does and he's kinda excited about getting more funding for his Department."

Cristina nudged Meredith's shoulder playfully; "Come on Mer, time to up your game. You can't let McDreamy outshine you..._again" _she heckled.

Meredith thought for a moment before turning her gaze towards to Cristina; "You're right" she said. She then turned towards Jackson; "When's this Gala again? I need to go shopping"

Jackson grinned; "Saturday next next week"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I can't believe his holding out details on us!" Lexie pouted.

"I don't think there's much to tell, it looks to me that they just kissed" Mark replied before taking a sip of his coffee.

"I doubt that. April won't kiss him that _soon-_I think there's begging involved" Lexie said thoughtfully.

Mark chuckled; "He'd grovel if she wants him too, that's how in love he is with her"

Lexie giggled; "I think it's cute"

"It is" Mark replied.

Lexie leaned back on his chair; "I haven't been able to talk with April yet, her parents and sisters won't leave her bedside"

"You can't blame them, Kepner almost died. I was glued to your bedside"

"I wonder if Jackson had any luck talking to her?"

"I doubt that" Mark replied.

Lexie shook her head; "Poor thing"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I'm really fine. Why don't you guys go out for lunch? Explore Seattle, it's only your second time here and I want you to see how beautiful it is" April said.

"We didn't come here to explore sweetie, we came here to take care of you" Karen said.

April smiled at her mother; "I know that Mom but I'm really alright. I have a lot of doctor's keeping an eye on me and I have nurses at my beck and call" she explained. She then shifted her eyes to her father; "Besides, the last time Dad and I talked, he mentioned that he wanted to see the Space Needle, why don't you guys go there-you can have lunch there, it's like hitting two birds with one stone."

"I did say that" Joe said with a sheepish smile.

Libby shot up from her perch and threw her sister a teasing smile; "Come on guys, this is Apple's polite way of saying that she wants alone time with _Charming._"

"Libby!" April said, clearly mortified.

Karen smiled endearingly at her second youngest daughter; "Aww honey, you should've just said so" she said.

Joe chuckled; "So that's the reason why I keep on seeing Jackson around the hallway"

"Daddy!" April shrilled.

Alice and Kimmie hop out of their seats; "You should introduce us to your boyfriend Apple, it's not fair that only Libby knows him" the latter said.

"He's not my boyfriend Kimmie!"

"_Yet" _Alice piped in.

"Gaaaaahhhh! You guys are impossible!" April shrieked, her face turning red.

Karen chuckled; "Let's not aggravate your sister any further, let's just go now-I'm kinda hungry too" she said.

Joe grabbed his jacket and shifted closer to April; he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his little girl's forehead. "We'll see you tomorrow pumpkin"

April threw her father a grateful smile; "See you tomorrow Daddy"

Karen also leaned forward and copied her husband's action; "We'll bring you something good tomorrow, promise" she said.

"Thanks Mom" April replied.

Libby patted April's leg; "I'll tell Jackson you want to see him if we happen to pass him by" she said with a wink.

"Libby!"

Libby rolled her eyes; "I'm just kidding, take a chill pill"

April huffed.

"We'll be back tomorrow Apple, love you!" Alice said.

"Love you too" April replied.

"See you tomorrow Duckie!" Kimmie teased.

"Stop calling me Duckie!"

Alice looped her arm around Kimmie's and began ushering her out; "Bye!" they said in unison.

"Don't mind Kimmie, she's just reeling you up. See you tomorrow" Libby said with a wave.

Joe wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder and began steering her towards the door; "Rest well pumpkin, love you"

April smiled at her parent's retreating form; "Love you too!" she chirped. She waited for a couple of minutes before falling back on her pillows and closing her eyes; "Finally...peace" she said with a relived sigh.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"There you are! We've been looking all over for you!"

Jackson turned around and saw two familiar red head's standing before him; "Err-hi" he said awkwardly.

Meredith looped her arm around Cristina and began pulling her away; "We'll see you later Jackson!" she said happily.

Jackson turned his head towards his friends and threw them a pleading look.

Cristina snickered; "Good luck Pretty Boy!" she whispered before letting Meredith guide her away.

Meredith winked.

Jackson internally groaned before turning towards April's sister again; he forced out a smile as he proffered his hand. "We haven't properly introduced yet, I'm Jackson"

Kimmie shook the surgeon's hand first; "I'm Kimmie" she said before pulling her hand away.

"Hi Kimmie" Jackson said. He then shifted his hands towards the other red head; "You're Alice, right?"

Alice smiled brightly before accepting Jackson's hand; "That's me" she said.

Jackson shoved his hands inside his lab coat pocket; "It's nice to finally meet you two, April told me a lot of things about you guys" he said.

Kimmie eyed Jackson; "She told us a lot of things about you too, did you know that she named a pig after you?"

Jackson's eyes widen in surprise; "She did?"

Alice nodded; "She did, it's not your full name though-she likes to call him Jax"

Jackson chuckled.

"So-you like our sister?" Kimmie asked bluntly.

Jackson's smile froze, clearly not expecting this line questioning. He cleared his throat and stood straighter; "Yeah...I love her..." he admitted.

"Oh my gosh!" Alice gasped.

Kimmie smirked; "You've got balls, I like you"

Jackson can't help but chuckle; "I'm happy to know that you like me" he said.

"Are you guys _together?_" Alice asked.

"Err-no-err, we're taking things slow..." Jackson replied.

Kimmie rolled her eyes; "My sister has been in love with you since forever and you seem to feel the same, just be together already" she said. She then stared at Jackson seriously; "We'll feel much better knowing that there's someone looking after her once we leave..."

"You don't have to worry about that Kimmie, I'll be looking after her regardless if we're together or not" Jackson replied.

Alice sighed dreamily; "Aren't you just a dream boat?"

Jackson chuckled; "_If only you knew what I did, you'll probably castrate me and feed my parts to your pigs" _he thought.

"Stop harassing Jackson! April will have your asses for it!" Libby reprimanded. She then shifted her eyes to Jackson and let out an apologetic smile; "Please don't mind my sisters, they're just being nosy."

Jackson met Libby's eyes; "It's alright..." he said.

"We're heading out, Apple practically threw us out her room-we're too noisy for her taste. You can go check on her if you'll like" Libby said with a teasing smile.

Jackson felt his cheeks flush so cleared his throat; "Err-okay..."

"No need to act bashful Jackson, we all know you two are dying to spend time together, hence, throwing us out of her room" Kimmie said.

"Kimmie that's enough!" Libby snapped.

Kimmie cringed; "Geez! I'll stop, no need to sound like Mom!"

Jackson stared at April's sister with amusement.

"Well we better head out, Mom and Dad are already waiting for us in the lobby. We'll see you tomorrow Jackson" Libby said.

"Take care of our sister Jackson" Alice said with a wave. She then began tugging Kimmie's arm; "Leave him alone, let's go" she murmured.

"It was nice putting a face to a name, see you tomorrow!" Kimmie said.

"It was nice meeting all of you too!" Jackson replied with a smile.

Libby patted Jackson's arm before following her sisters; "Go ahead lover boy, she's all yours" she said with a wink.

Jackson watched as the Kepner sisters board the elevator; he shook his head but a smile never left his lips.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April yawned before slowly opening her eyes; she shifted in her bed to make herself more comfortable before surveying her surroundings sleepily. She turned her head to the side and was surprised to see Jackson sitting on the couch, quietly perusing some documents; "H-hey" she croaked.

Jackson's head snapped up; "Did I wake you?"

April shook her head before letting out a small smile; "What are you doing?" she asked.

Jackson placed the papers on top of the coffee table before leaning back on the couch; "Budgeting stuff, I'm not good in math" he groaned.

"I'm good in math" April said.

Jackson threw April a look; "I know you are but I don't want you over working your pretty little head-in case you have forgotten, you are a patient who've undergone surgery."

April pouted.

Jackson chuckled; he then stood up from his perch and made his way towards April's bed. He stopped beside her and gestured towards the small space at her side; "May I?"

April threw Jackson an amused look; "Go on, I won't bite"

Jackson sat down and stared at her seriously; "How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

April smiled; "I'm fine, I can't feel anything, Vicodin does wonders"

Jackson let out sigh of relief; "Good-that's good. I'm sorry I hurt you last night..."

April stared at Jackson confusedly; "Hurt?"

Jackson winced upon remembering April's pained expression; "I didn't mean to make your incision bleed...I'm so sorry..." he said guiltily.

April pulled her hand under her blanket and gently placed it on top of Jackson's arm; "It was not your fault, I kissed you first, remember?"

Jackson let out a small smile; "Yeah-you did and it felt awesome..."

April's bowed her head to hide her flushed cheeks; "It did..."

"April?"

April lifted her gaze and met Jackson's; "Yes?"

"I know I don't have the right to ask you this and I'm not asking you this because I'm rushing or anything-I just want to know one thing and it's really okay if you don't answer me right now because I'd understand but I really want to ask you this-"

"You're mumbling Jackson" April said with a giggle.

Jackson scratched the back of his neck, his whole face reddening; "Err-yeah, sorry..." he murmured.

April took pity at her best friend's plight; "Just ask and I'll try my best to answer" she said.

"I-I-Do you still feel the same towards me?" Jackson blurted out.

April's mouth turned agape as a puzzled look settled on her features.

Jackson coughed to hide the insecurity his feeling; he cleared his throat and sat straighter. "Err-I shouldn't have asked, I'm being stupid-just forget I asked" he backtracked.

"You are being stupid"

Jackson's face fell; "I know and I'm sorry" he said while averting his gaze.

"Look at me" April said gently.

Jackson lifted his gaze and met April's eyes; "What?"

"You do remember that I kissed you last night, right?"

"Yeah..."

April cocked her head to the side; "Do I make it a habit to kiss people I don't have feelings for?"

Jackson took a couple of minutes before he realized what April meant, he felt his heart soar and before he knows it, he's grinning like a man who just won the lottery.

April shook her head, a tiny smile visible on her lips; "_He aced his MCAT's and have an M.D at Harvard's and yet he can be pretty daft if he wants to be" _she thought.

Jackson tried to wipe the triumphant grin off his face but he's failing; "So-you still love me?" he asked hopefully.

April smirked; "I didn't say that"

"But you just said that..." Jackson trailed off.

"I know what I said but you won't hear me saying it again" April said. "Besides, I'm not letting you off the hook easily, remember?" she added cheekily.

"Oh."

"You have a lot of sucking up to do to deserve that second chance Avery" April said with a teasing smile.

Jackson returned the smile; "So-does that mean you're giving me that second chance?"

April sniffed haughtily; "_Again_, I never peg you to be daft"

"Forgive my daftness...I've never been _this_ in love before" Jackson finished with a wink.

April bit her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling widely.

Jackson's face turned serious; "We'll take one day at a time, we will not rush" he said. He then gently gathered April's hand into his; "Thank you for taking this leap of fate with me April...I promise that I won't muck it up. I'll try my very best to show you how much I love you..."

April felt her breath hitch in her throat as her heart started beating erratically, her cheeks burning brighter than before. "I-I still can't believe how easy it is for you to say those words..." she said in awe.

Jackson lifted their joined hands to his lips and planted a soft kiss on it; he then gazed into April's eyes and smiled. "I never thought I'd be able to utter those words freely too but you make it seem so easy"

April felt her heart skip a beat but she tried her best to compose her features; "Are you sweet talking me now Avery?"

Jackson blinked a couple of times before bursting out laughing.

April smiled widely.

* * *

"_**So every time you hold me, hold me like this is the last time. Every time you kiss me, kiss me like you'll never see me again (can you do that for me baby). Every time you touch me, (see we don't really know) touch me like this is the last time (see every day we never know). Promise that you'll love me, (I want you to promise me) love me like you'll never see me again..."**_

* * *

It has been a week since April had her surgery and she's more than ready to get discharged, her sister's and her Father already flew back to Ohio which bought her a little breathing space; she loves her family with all her heart but spending _too_ much time with them can be a little bit suffocating-especially if they keep on teasing you about your love life. The past week has been an emotional rollercoaster for her, more on the blissful side though, Jackson-there's no word to describe that man; he'd been a total _dream boat_, as per Alice's words. Ever since he learned that she's giving him a second chance to prove himself, he kept surprising her on every turn; for example, she never pegged him to be the heart and flowers type of guy but looking at her room now, nobody will doubt that. She had never seen this side of him and to think she'd known him for 5 years; where is he hiding this persona? Is this the real Jackson Avery that she never noticed all along? If it is, then she's the luckiest woman in the world.

"APRIL!"

April wrinkled her nose and shook her head to clear her thoughts; she then turned to her side and saw Lexie standing by her bedside. "Why are you shouting Lex?"

Lexie crossed her arms on top of her chest and stared at April worriedly; "Are you okay? Should I page Derek to check your head?"

"Of course not, I'm okay" April replied.

"Are you sure? I've been standing here and calling your name for quite some time now and you were not responding"

April smiled at her friend's concern; "I'm fine Lex, I was just thinking about something" she explained.

Lexie raised her brow; "Something?"

April nodded; "Yep" she affirmed. "By the way, have you seen Chief Hunt? He's supposed to discharge me today"

"Speaking of that, that's why I'm here. Chief Hunt needs to know who'll be taking care of you once he discharges you. Have you talked with your parents?"

April scrunched her face; "Err-actually no. As much as I love my parents I don't think I can stand them hovering around me, one week is enough."

Lexie cocked her head to the side; "So-are you telling me that you'll be alone in your apartment?"

April nodded; "Yeah, I'm a doctor and I can take care of myself" she said confidently.

Lexie stared at April for a second before wrinkling her nose; "Hunt will not buy that"

"He can't keep me here, there are other patient's who'll need this room."

"I doubt that, we have a couple of rooms available" Lexie replied.

"Not helping Lex!" April huffed. She then threw her friend a pleading look; "Please help me think of something? I don't want to be stuck with my parents or my sisters-I'll go crazy!"

Lexie thought for a moment; "Hmmmnnn, you can always talk to Jackson? He's Mr. 51% and he can very much order Hunt to discharge you?"

April scrunched her face in distaste; "I'm not gonna use his position, that's so wrong"

Lexie shook her head; "You're right" she amended herself. She then let out a small smirk; "Ask him to stay with you for a couple of days then, I'm sure he wouldn't mind"

"Lexie!"

Lexie shrugged her shoulders; "What? I'm just saying. He spends all his time here anyway, he possibly left his butt print on the couch, I'm sure he won't mind checking on you from time to time"

"I can't ask him to do that! We're not even together, it's very inappropriate!"

"We're playing that game again? Well if we are, then look at it as if you're asking your best friend a favour."

April began rubbing her temples; "I don't know Lex, I'll think about it. Worse comes to worst, I might ask my Mom to stay with me for a while if Hunt won't budge."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Avery!"

Jackson halted his steps and turned around; "Yeah?"

Owen walked briskly towards the Plastics Attending and fell into step with him; "I'm discharging Kepner today, do you know if her parent's will be staying with her after?" he asked.

Jackson cocked his head to the side; "Err-I'm not sure. Have you talked with them?"

"I dropped by her room this morning but I didn't see them there. I haven't talked with April yet because I have an idea what she'll tell me" Owen said.

Jackson chuckled; "I also have an inkling" he said.

Owen smirked; "Can you at least talk to her first? She's your best friend, right? Try to convince her that I'm doing this out of concern and not punishment?"

Jackson thought for a moment; "I'll try" he said.

Owen patted the young surgeon's back; "Thank you" he said.

"Welcome" Jackson replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April just stepped out of the bathroom when the door to her room opened; a smile automatically made its way to her lips upon seeing her visitor. "Hey _Jackman_"

Jackson closed the door behind him before smiling widely; "Morning beautiful,"

April felt her cheeks flush so she averted her gaze; "Don't you think it's too early for flattery?" she mumbled while walking towards her bed.

Jackson followed her lead and made his way towards her bedside; he smiled at her mischievously before pulling out something inside his lab coat.

April gasped in surprise.

Jackson presented her with a single long stemmed yellow rose; "A pretty flower for a very beautiful lady"

April accepted the proffered flower with a shy smile; "Thank you-you didn't have to"

"Of course I have to, you're being discharged today" Jackson said. He then sat down near the footboard and smiled; "And just because I want to" he added.

April's cheeks burned even brighter.

Jackson decided to give April a breathing space so he backtracked; he cleared his throat as he leaned back. "So-you're getting discharged today, you excited?"

April groaned; "Don't remind me..."

"You're not excited?"

"I'm excited to get out of this place but I'm not excited to live with either of my parent's again, they'll just be hovering and it will drive me insane"

Jackson chuckled; "I kinda get that, I had to literally push my mom out of my apartment after the bus incident to make her leave"

April let out a giggle; "How did that turn out?"

"Not good" Jackson said with a grimace.

April sighed; "I don't know what to do"

Jackson eyed April for a moment, contemplating if he should voice out the suggestion that Lexie spouted when he saw her. He knows that the idea is a little bit overboard but it might help with her current predicament, it wouldn't also hurt that he'll be able to spend more time with her-it's a _win-win _situation for the both of them, he hopes.

"You're staring at me like you want to tell me something, out with it _Jackman_"

Jackson threw April an amused look; "Am I that obvious?"

April rolled her eyes; "I can pretty much hear the wheels turning inside your head from way over here, out with it."

"I have an idea but I don't think you'd like it..."

April cocked her head to the side; "As long as it doesn't involve dumping me with my parents, I'm all ears."

Jackson licked his lips nervously; "I-I can talk to Hunt and tell him to discharge you with the-"

"You're not using your position Jackson, that's unprofessional" April said with narrowed eyes.

"Will you let me finish?"

April crossed her arms on top of her chest; "Go on then,"

"Back to what I'm saying, I can talk to Hunt and _ask _him to discharge you without your parent's supervision because I'll volunteer to stay with you for the mean time"

April's mouth turned agape.

Jackson winced; "Bad idea?"

April snapped her mouth close and opens it again, she tried to form words but nothing intelligible seems to come out.

Jackson stood up from his perch; "I'll give you time to think about it-err, page me once you come up with a decision" he said.

April nodded.

Jackson turned on his heels and began walking towards the door; he pulled it open but didn't step out yet. He turned his head towards April and threw her a look; "Please keep in mind that I'm not offering this because I'm expecting-err-sex, I just really want to take care of you" he said before closing the door behind him.

April blinked a couple of times; "Wow" she breathed out. She then shifted her eyes to the lone flower he just gave her before groaning; "I don't think I can continue resisting you much further-you're making it hard-_really_ hard."

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was just stepping out of O.R 2 when he saw Lexie approaching him; he took off his surgical cap and stared at her. "You need something?"

"April has been discharged."

Jackson's brows both rose in surprise; "Really?"

Lexie shoved her hands inside her lab coat pocket; "Yup"

"She's going home with her parent's then?" Jackson asked.

"Nope"

Jackson rested his hand on his hips; "How on earth was she discharged then?"

Lexie grinned mischievously; "Why don't you ask her? She's kinda waiting for you in her room" she said before quickly turning on her heels and walking towards the direction she came from.

Jackson furrowed his brows as he watches the other surgeon leave.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I'm really gonna be fine Mom, you don't need stay and take care of me. I'm a big girl and I'm a doctor, I can handle myself"

"It just doesn't feel right leaving you after you had a major surgery..."

April threw her mother an appeasing smile; "You don't have to worry about me, I have people here that will look after me" she said. "I'll make you a deal, if I feel that I can't fend for myself then I'll call you"

Karen eyed April with full seriousness; "You promise?"

April nodded earnestly; "I promise" she replied. She then leaned forward and pulled her mother into a hug; "I'm gonna miss you Mom but you better leave, you don't want to miss your flight and your taxi is waiting for you"

Karen returned the hug, after a moment she pulled away; she cupped her daughter's face with her hands. "No more death defying stunts, do you understand me?"

April cracked an apologetic smile; "I swear"

Karen leaned forward and planted a kiss on April's forehead; "Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"I will" April replied.

Karen plucked her bag from the foot of the bed; "I love you Apple, take care of yourself" she said.

"Love you too Mom, call me once you landed safely, okay?"

"Okay sweetheart, I'll see you soon" Karen said before stepping out of the room.

Jackson was walking along the hallways when he saw April's mother walking towards the elevator; he furrowed his brows as he ran towards her. "Karen?"

Karen halted her steps and turned around; she let out smile upon seeing her daughter's best friend. "Jackson"

Jackson stopped right in front of the old woman and smiled back; "Are you leaving with April?"

Karen shook her head; "No dear, I'm about to leave for Ohio. April insisted that I go home instead of staying with her"

"Oh"

"You know how stubborn she can get" Karen said.

Jackson can't help but chuckle; "She can be _very _stubborn" he replied. He then stood straighter and stared at April's mother with full seriousness; "Don't worry about April, I'll look after her"

"I feel much better now, knowing that she'll have you to look after her. Thank you Jackson" Karen said with a relived sigh.

Jackson smiled; "You're welcome" she said.

Karen then smiled knowingly at the young man standing before her; "My daughter chose well"

Jackson's eyes widen, clearly stunned.

Karen patted Jackson's shoulder affectionately before walking towards the elevator; "I trust that you'll take care of my little girl Jackson, you kids be happy now"

Jackson turned around and watched as Karen boarded the elevator; "Thank you..." he called out loudly.

Karen winked; "Your welcome..._son" _she said before hitting on the close button.

Jackson can't help but grin upon hearing Karen's statement.

April just finished zipping her bag when she felt a familiar presence looming by her door; she turned her head sideways and smiled. "You keep appearing by that door, it's disconcerting sometimes"

Jackson leaned sideways on the door frame; "I just ran into your Mom a couple of minutes ago, she's going home to Ohio" he said.

April slowly edged towards the side of her bed and sat sideways; "She is"

"How were you able to convince Hunt to discharge you without any supervision then?" Jackson asked.

April averted her gaze shyly; "I-err-I told him about your offer..."

Jackson's eyes widen in surprise; "So-you've decided?"

April nodded; "Yeah..."

"You're okay with it?"

April shifted her eyes back to Jackson and met his gaze; "I trust you _Jackman _and you're just looking after me, right?"

Jackson nodded earnestly; "Yes, I just want to take care of you..."

April smiled; "Then it's settled then, you can stay at my place for the mean time, it's gonna be like the good old days when we used to have sleepovers" she chirped.

Jackson grinned, April's enthusiasm is infectious; "Yeah, like the good old days" he repeated.

April then paused when a thought hit her; "Crap!"

"What's wrong?"

"I just remembered that I live in a one bedroom apartment" April said.

Jackson threw April a confused look; "I already know that Apes, I've been to your apartment already."

"You can't stay there overnight, I can't make you sleep on the couch, you're too long for that-you'll hurt your neck" April explained. "You can just check on me for a couple of hours, that'll work"

Jackson crossed his arms on top of his chest; "That'll beat the purpose of me looking after you, don't you think?"

April crossed her arms on top of her chest too, copying Jackson's stance; "I won't let you suffer while you look after me, it's already enough that I'm bothering you with this"

Jackson pulled away from his perch and began walking towards the red head; he stood right in front of her and stared intently into her eyes. "You are not bothering me in any way or form. I love you and I'd be happy to take care of you-in fact I'm excited to do this" He then let out a small smile; "I haven't taken care of anyone aside from myself so I'm apologizing to you now if I end up doing a crappy job."

April let out a small smile; "You've always taken care of me and I don't think that'll be an issue" she replied.

Jackson sighed; "I think I've hurt you more..." he admitted dejectedly.

April captured Jackson's hands in hers and laced their fingers together; "I won't deny that you did hurt me but that won't erase the thousand good things you did for me _Jackman" _

Jackson squeezed April's hands; "I'm sorry I hurt you..."

April shook her head; "The past is the past and we can no longer change that, let's just move forward, shall we?"

Jackson stared at April for a couple of seconds before nodding; "Okay..."

April let out a small smile; "Now for our current predicament, I think we're at impasse" she said.

"I have another idea..."

"Shoot"

Jackson licked his lips nervously; "You can stay at my place for a while? My apartment has two bedrooms with an ensuite bathroom, plus it's only 15 minutes away from the hospital" he offered.

April shook her head adamantly; "I can't impose on you like that Jackson-that's like your bachelor's pad, your private place, it wouldn't feel right"

Jackson tugged on their joined hands; "Listen to me, you're not imposing April and I wouldn't have offered it if I didn't want to" he said seriously. He then cleared his throat; "Besides, I haven't brought _anyone_ in my place if that's what you're thinking, you're the first-well, aside from my meddling mom"

April's eyes widen in surprise; "You mean, you haven't even brought...Sadie there?"

Jackson shook his head; "No. We haven't even been dating that long, we always hang out outside or some time's her place" he replied.

"And you want to let me stay there?" April asked slowly.

Jackson took another step closer towards April; "Yes, I want you to stay there."

"Are you sure?"

Jackson let out a small smile upon hearing April's tone, she's close to caving in; "I'm 100% sure"

April bit her bottom lip hard, clearly contemplating. After a couple of minutes, she met his eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay..."

Jackson smile turned into a full grin; he impulsively planted a kiss on April's forehead before taking a step back. "I'll go get changed then we can drop by your apartment to get some stuff then we'll go to my place" he said excitedly.

April can't help but smile at Jackson's reaction; "Okay" she replied. She then paused; "Wait-aren't you in the middle of your shift?"

Jackson threw April a boyish smile; "Perks of being head of the board" he said.

"You're playing hooky?" April asked incredulously.

Jackson winked before turning on his heels; "I'll just change into my street clothes then we'll leave this place. I'll be back 10 minutes tops" he said before walking towards the room, an excited bounce evident in his steps.

April watched as Jackson exited her room; "What have you gotten yourself into April Kepner? Is this how you take things slow?" she asked herself loudly. She then remembered Jackson's earlier words and shook her head; "We're still taking things slow-this is just a temporary set up, it's still one day at a time" she said before a contented smile appeared on her face. _"I wonder what his apartment looks like?" _ she thought giddily.

* * *

_**A/N: Sorry for the late upload, I kinda suffered from a ****severe**** mental block after I watched episode 10x16-the post nuptial agreement gave me a lot of bunnies-they keep running inside my head and it took a me few days to shoot them down, one by one. LOL! ^-^ Unexpected twist, eh? How am I doing so far? Does this chappy meet your standards? This has a lot of JAPRIL moments and I hope I did them justice. What do you think will happen with these two? Will they be able to abide by their own rules and keep their hands to themselves? Let me know what you think about this one so leave me a review! Thank you again for reading-till next chapter! Cheers! ^-^**_


	12. Kiss on my list

**Chapter Twelve: Kiss on my list**

"_**My friends wonder why I call you all of the time. What can I say I don't feel the need to give such secrets away. You think maybe I need help, no I know I'm right all right, I'm just better off not listening to friends' advice. When they insist on blowing my bliss, I tell them this when they want to know what the reason is, I only smile when alive, and I tell them why..."**_

* * *

Ecstatic, Excited, Elated and Blissful; these are the four words that best described what Jackson is feeling at the moment. Ever since he stepped out of April's room, he can't seem to wipe the smile off of his face; he already received a couple of weird looks from some nurses and interns but even that cannot dampen the mood he's in.

"Avery!"

Jackson punched on the elevator button and turned his head to the side; "Hey Alex, how are you doing man?" he asked cheerfully.

Alex fell into step with his friend and raised his brow; "You're acting like a giddy girl, what gives?"

Jackson didn't bother to hide his mood; "Nothing, it's just a good day"

Alex stepped into the elevator and punched on his floor button; "Yeah right"

Jackson followed Alex and punched on his own floor button; he didn't respond and just focused his attention on the closing door.

Alex turned to face Jackson; "Come on man, don't be such a spoil sport, what is it?"

Jackson chuckled; "You are being nosey, you know that?"

Alex stuffed his hands inside his lab coat pocket; "And you are Mr. McRainbowbright" he quipped.

Jackson just shook his head; "You and your awful name calling, you're as bad as Grey and Yang" he said. He then took a step towards the door when the elevator chimed open; "See you around man" he said as he steps out.

Alex scoffed; "I'll eventually find out what you're up to McRainbowbright!"

"Good luck with that!" Jackson yelled back.

Alex shook his head in amusement as he watches the door close.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was sitting on her bed when the door burst open; she turned her head sideways and mentally groaned upon seeing her new visitors.

"I heard you'll be shacking up with Pretty boy, you can't boink him yet" Cristina said with a smirk.

"Are you two back together?" Meredith asked as she closes the door behind her.

"Wow, news travels here _really _fast" April said with disdain. "Yes I will be staying with Jackson for a couple of days, we're not boinking and no we're not together"

Cristina plopped down near the footboard; "Not _yet _boinking and not _yet _together_" _she corrected.

Meredith chuckled.

April rolled her eyes; "Did you two come here just to antagonize me?"

Cristina looked thoughtful; "Well-yeah, we're bored" she said.

Meredith sat on the other side of bed; copying her best friend's stance; "We're just checking on you Apes, you set to go?" she asked.

April turned her gaze towards Meredith; "Yes, I'm dying to get out of here, I'm bored to my wits end" she replied.

Cristina smirked; "You just want to have Avery to yourself" she teased.

April felt her cheeks flush; "Cristina!" she shrieked.

Cristina cackled loudly.

Meredith patted April's leg comfortingly; "Don't mind her, she's just having a little fun"

April pursed her lips; "Obviously at my expense" she mumbled.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"There you are! I've been looking for you all over" Jackson said as he walks towards his mentor.

Mark placed his tab on top of the counter and eyed his prot up and down; "Why the hell are you in your street clothes?" he asked with furrowed brows.

Jackson stopped right in front of Mark and adjusted the bag on his shoulder; "I'm taking off early, I'm still on call so can you page me BUT _only_ if something _big _comes up, okay?"

Mark crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Care to tell your old man where the hell you're going?"

"I'm taking April home, she's been discharged"

"I know that but why do you have to take the rest of the day off? You're just dropping her off to her apartment, right?" Mark asked confusedly.

Jackson cleared his throat and stood straighter; "Err-about that, she's not actually going home to _her_ apartment" he replied.

"Huh?"

Jackson let out a grin; "She's coming home with me"

Mark's eyes widen in surprise; "She's what?"

"Somebody needs to look after her and Hunt won't let her leave without any supervision-her family is in Ohio so I kinda volunteered for the job" Jackson admitted sheepishly.

Mark blinked a couple of times before a large grin made its way to his lips; "You sly dog!"

Jackson chuckled.

Mark leaned forward and punched Jackson's shoulder playfully; "Admit it! You just want Kepner to yourself!" he teased.

"Knock it off! I just want to take care of her"

Mark chortled happily; "I'm not judging-no one's judging" he said.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Whatever man, well-I gotta go, I don't want to make her wait that long"

Mark winked; "Go on lover boy, have fun _playing_ nurse" he said meaningfully.

"Get your head out of the gutter Sloan!" Jackson said. He then spun on his heels and made his way towards the elevator; "See you tomorrow" he called out.

"Avery!"

Jackson halted his steps and turned his face towards Mark; "What?" he asked.

Mark placed his hands on his hips and fixed him with a somewhat serious look; "Kepner is still out of commission, don't ravish her and mess up my perfect stitches! I don't want her back in this hospital bleeding through her incisions just because you two can't keep your hands to yourself, you hear me?"

Jackson scrunched his face; "What's wrong with you?!" he said indignantly before continuing his trek.

Mark just laughed boisterously as a response.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Lexie opened the door to April's room and was surprised to see the crowd that gathered inside the red head's room; she pushed the door wider and parked the wheelchair close to it. "Wow, you have a full room"

April threw Lexie a pleading look; "Have you seen Jackson? I want to go now-these three are driving nuts!" she complained.

"Can't wait to have your way with Mr. McRainbowbright, huh?" Alex teased.

"Ha! That's a good one! Nice name evil spawn" Cristina complimented.

Meredith nodded in approval; "Your name calling is improving Alex"

April wrinkled her nose in distaste; "Stop encouraging him!" she chastised.

Lexie threw April a sympathetic look.

Alex leaned back on the couch and placed his crossed his feet on top of the coffee table; "Now I understand why Avery is acting so giddy-he gets to take you home" he said with a smirk.

Cristina turned her gaze towards Alex; "_Giddy_?" she asked curiously.

Alex nodded; "Like a school girl"

"You guys are horrible!" April whined loudly.

"Oh come on Apes, don't tell me that it didn't make you feel a tad happier?" Lexie said with a smile.

April's cheeks flush even brighter; "I won't even justify that with an answer" she huffed. She then narrowed her eyes at the brunette; "I thought you're on my side! Traitor!"

Lexie just chuckled as a response.

"Not even a tiny tidbit happier?" Meredith asked with a large smile.

April collapsed back on her pillows and covered her face with her hands; "Get out of my room, all of you"

The four surgeons all shared a look before laughing loudly.

"Are you guys terrorizing April again?" Jackson asked as he enters the room.

April hastily pulled her hands away from her face; "Jackson! Thank god you're already here!" she said, relief evident in her voice. She then scooted towards the side of the bed and dangled her legs until it reached the floor; "Let's go now! These people are trying to kill me!"

Cristina smirked; "We're not trying to kill you, we're just cheering you up, you did tell us that you're bored to your wits end, right?"

"Ooohh...she's using your own words against you Apes!" Alex egged on.

April threw Jackson an exasperated look; "See what I mean?"

Jackson shook his head; "Don't you all have jobs to tend to?" he said while eyeing each surgeon pointedly.

Cristina hopped up from her perch; "_Bossman _is back, that's our cue to leave-looks like he wants to have a one on one with Kepner"

Meredith copied her person's action and began rounding the bed; "Yep, that's our cue" she affirmed. She turned her gaze towards Alex; "Come on now Alex, let's leave this love birds alone" she said.

"Out!" April yelled out.

Alex chuckled as he stood up from his perch; he made his way towards Meredith and fell into step with her. "Little Ms. Red is getting anxious to have Pretty boy to herself, touchy" he said with a teasing smile.

"I hate you Karev!" April said.

Alex winked; "We both know how much ya love me"

Cristina walked towards the door; "Get well soon Kepner, we'll see you next week-have fun with lover boy!" she said with a wave.

Meredith followed Cristina towards the door; "Bye Apes, don't stress yourself too much, rest well" she reminded.

"Keep your hands to yourself love birds, see you soon Apes!" Alex said as he steps out of the room.

"Thanks guys!" April called out. She then let out defeated sigh; "I love them to death but they are exasperating" she mumbled.

Lexie chuckled; "Your reaction is egging them on that's why they keep on teasing you" she replied.

April pouted; "You're on their side just a couple of minutes ago" she accused.

Lexie tugged on the wheelchair and began moving it towards the side of the bed; "You can't hold that against me, I'm just telling the truth" she said while wiggling her brows suggestively.

April rolled her eyes; "You're lucky I love you or I'd give you hell"

Lexie winkled; "True" she said.

Jackson grabbed April's bag from the bed side and slung it on his other shoulder; "You ready to go?" he asked.

April planted her feet firmly on the floor before hauling herself up; she slowly moved towards the wheelchair and sat down. "I never thought I'd end up in this silly thing"

"That's what you get when you run into a collapsing porch" Lexie quipped.

Jackson let out a chuckle; "True" he said.

"Ha ha ha, very funny" April said sarcastically.

Lexie placed her hand on the red head's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly; "You were a hero, no one is judging you about that"

April turned her face to the side and threw Lexie a smile.

Jackson turned his gaze towards Lexie; "Do you want me to take over?" he asked while gesturing towards the wheelchair.

Lexie threw Jackson an indignant look; "Why are you even asking me that question?"

Jackson raised both hands in surrender; "Just asking Lex, no need to go crazy on me"

Lexie harrumphed.

April stared at Jackson, eyeing her bag on his shoulders; "You can put that bag on my lap Jackson, it's kinda heavy and your shoulder is still healing"

Jackson turned his gaze towards April and smiled; "My shoulder is fine and besides, your bag weighs close to naught" he said.

"Awww...chivalry suites you" Lexie gushed.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Whatever" he mumbled.

April can't help but smile at Jackson's reaction; "Let's go now, I'm dying to get out of this stuffy room"

Lexie tugged on the wheelchair and began navigating it towards the door; "Aye aye boss!" she chirped.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Page me once Mr. Schmidt wakes up, okay?" Richard reminded the nurse.

"Will do, Dr. Webber"

"Thank you Natalie" Richard said with a smile. He then turned around and saw his three former residents walking towards him; he placed his hands on his hips and smiled. "Now, I'll be."

"Dr. Webber" April greeted politely.

"You're getting discharged today?" Richard asked.

"Yep" April chirped.

Richard cocked his head to the side; "Who will take you home then?" he asked when he didn't see any of April's family members.

Lexie put the wheelchair into a halt; "Jackson will" she piped in happily.

Richard shifted his gaze to the Plastic Surgeon; "Your taking the rest of the day off, I presume?"

"I am" Jackson replied.

"That's good" Richard replied. He then moved his eyes back to April, his brows furrowed in concern; "Can you manage being home alone?" he asked.

April felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment; "Err-I won't be alone..." she trailed off.

Jackson cleared his throat; "I'll look after her, she'll be staying at my place for the mean time"

Lexie grinned widely; "He'll take care of our April, isn't he the sweetest?"

"Lexie!" April hissed.

Richard shifted his gaze between Jackson and April back and forth before letting out a large smile; "I see...well, that's good to hear, I'm sure Jackson will take good care of you" he said confidently.

April can't help but smile at Richard's statement; "I know he will" she replied. "As long as he doesn't hover like my mother, I'm quite sure we'll be fine" she added as a joke.

Richard laughed.

"I will not hover" Jackson said assuringly.

Lexie leaned towards April; "Let's hope he's not as bad as Mark" she whispered.

April giggled; "No one is as bad as your fiancé" she retorted.

Lexie winked; "We'll see about that, he's Mark's prodigy after all"

"Kepner, I heard you're being discharged today, congratulations!" Callie said as she walks towards the group.

"I am" April replied happily.

Arizona fell into step with her wife; "The little boy you saved is recovering with flying colors, thanks to you" she said with a smile.

April felt warmth settle inside her chest, her eyes stinging with tears; "Really?"

Arizona nodded; "Really" she replied.

"Thank god" April said.

Callie shoved her hands inside her lab coat pockets; "How are you gonna get home? Where are your parents?"

April threw Jackson an apologetic smile; "I-"

"I'm taking her home" Jackson interjected while smiling at April.

Callie's eyes widen in surprise.

Arizona chuckled upon seeing the look on Callie's face, she then turned her gaze towards Jackson; "That's very nice of you" she said.

Jackson shrugged his shoulders; "It's April" he said.

April felt her cheeks flush so she shifted her gaze to her lap instead.

Lexie noticing April's plight decided to give her friend a reprieve; "Well, we better get going, April might be a little tired, she's still recovering you know" she said with a smile.

April lifted her gaze and threw Lexie a grateful look, she then turned her eyes back to her friends; "I'll see you all next week, I can't wait to be back"

Richard chuckled; "You haven't been out of this hospital yet and you want to come back already, I love the dedication Kepner, keep it up"

April smiled at Richard; "Will do Chief" she said with a salute.

"Take her home Avery, I think she's been sitting on that wheelchair far too long-she's acting kinda crazy" Callie said with a teasing smile.

April just chuckled at Callie's jibe.

"Get well soon April" Arizona said.

"Thank you!" April chirped.

"See? Too cheerful" Callie pointed out.

Lexie tugged on the wheelchair and began pushing it towards the elevator.

"Page me if you guys need anything" Jackson said with a wave.

"Interesting" Richard mused as he watches Jackson walk away.

Callie threw Richard a look; "What's interesting Chief?" she asked.

Richard gestured towards the elevator; "Jackson and April"

Arizona raised her brow; "That's not exactly new,"

"I know but I can feel something's up between that two" Richard replied.

"Well-he did take a time off in the middle of his shift" Callie said thoughtfully.

"And he's taking her home, whatever that means" Arizona piped in.

"We'll see..." Richard said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I'll just go get my car, will you be alright here?"

Lexie rolled her eyes; "I'm right here, in case you have forgotten" she said.

Jackson chuckled; "Oh yeah, I thought your just some nurse or whatever" he teased.

"Ha, ha, ha, funny" Lexie said sarcastically.

Jackson shifted his gaze between April and Lexie; "You two are hanging around each other too much" he said. He then gestured towards the parking lot; "I'll go get my car now, be back in a sec" he said before jogging away.

"Avery has it bad for you Apes" Lexie said while shaking her head in amusement.

"No he doesn't" April replied, her cheeks betraying her.

"Yeah right, he's like a love sick puppy nipping at your heels, its cute" Lexie said with a teasing smile.

"He's not a puppy!" April protested.

"April?"

April turned her head sideways, her eyes widening in surprise; "Matthew!"

Matthew stopped by her side, staring at her with worry; "I heard what happened but I wasn't able to visit you...I'm sorry-are you alright?"

April smiled kindly; "It's alright Matthew, I knew you were busy and yes, I'm alright"

"Thank god" Matthew breathed out. He then let out a small smile; "You and ride alongs never did end well, huh?"

"Sing it" Lexie piped in.

Matthew chuckled; "I think Dr. Grey agrees with me"

"You and me, plus eight other doctors, don't you think we already proved our point enough, Apes?" Lexie said with a smirk.

April rolled her eyes; "I already promised each and every one of you that I won't do ride alongs anymore"

Matthew nodded; "Good for you" he said.

April leaned forward and swatted Matthew's arm playfully; "You're supposed to be on my side!"

"Not on this one, I'm afraid" Matthew said with a smirk.

Lexie threw the Paramedic an approving look; "I'm liking you more Taylor"

Matthew felt his cheeks flush; "Err-t—thank you Dr. Grey" he stuttered, clearly flustered at Lexie's comment.

Lexie chuckled at Matthew's reaction; "If you aren't dating Edwards, I'd say you and April are meant to be together, you both blush at the tiniest thing" she teased.

Matthew smiled; "I'm like her male counterpart, we'd make a _very _annoying couple"

April giggled at Matthew's words; "A super annoying couple" she corrected.

Lexie can't help but laugh at the irony of their statements; "True" she said. Her laughter died down almost instantly when she heard her pager beeping; she let out a loud groaned before plucking it from her pocket.

April turned her gaze towards Lexie; "Who's paging you?" she asked.

Lexie stuffed her pager inside her pocket; "Derek" she replied.

April's eyes widen; "Go then," she said.

Lexie shook her head; "It can wait, it's not a 911 page" she replied.

"It's really alright Lex, you can go. I have Matthew here to keep me company-I'm sure Derek needs you" April reasoned out.

"But-"

"No buts Lexie, go, you don't need to babysit me"

"Jackson will kill me for leaving you" Lexie said.

"I'll wait with her" Matthew offered.

Lexie bit her bottom lip; "I don't think that-"

"I'll take care of Jackson, don't worry" April said while throwing Lexie a meaningful look.

"You sure?" Lexie asked.

"I'm sure, now scoot!" April said.

Lexie let out a defeated sigh; "Fine" she mumbled. She then leaned towards April and hugged her; "I'm gonna miss you Apes, I'll try to drop by as much as I can, okay?" she whispered.

April rubbed Lexie's back; "I'll miss you too Lex and please do drop by" she replied.

Lexie pulled away; "Rest well and please be a good patient" she reminded.

April laughed; "I'll try"

Lexie squeezed April's arm comfortingly before turning her gaze towards Matthew; "Thanks for doing this Matthew" she said sincerely.

"No biggie" Matthew replied.

Lexie's pager went off again; "I better get my ass there" she said. She then spun on her heels and began jogging towards the E.R. doors; "Bye guys!" she called out.

Matthew waited for Lexie to disappear from the E.R doors before shifting his gaze back to April; he stuffed his hands inside his jacket pockets before smiling teasingly at the red head. "So...you and Jackson, huh?"

April met Matthew's eyes; "Yeah" she replied shyly.

"I'm happy for you" Matthew said with sincerity.

"Thank you" April replied. She then cocked her head to side and smirked; "You haven't actually told me that you and Stephanie are officially together"

Matthew cleared his throat as his cheeks began to flush; "I-err-it's actually fairly new..." he sputtered.

"When?" April asked curiously.

Matthew shifted in his feet; "Err-after the storm..."

April threw Matthew an impressed look; "That's good to hear, I'm glad that it worked out-you two are so cute together" she said with grin.

Matthew laughed.

April opened her mouth to respond but wasn't able to do so when she saw Jackson's car pulling over right in front of her; "Well, here's my ride" she said.

"Nice ride" Matthew whistled.

April rolled her eyes; "Boys and your toys" she mumbled.

Jackson climbed out of his car but left his door open; he gritted his teeth and tried his best to stifle the jealousy that's almost blinding him. "Taylor"

Matthew instantly felt the tension radiating from the other doctor so he cleared his throat; "Dr. Avery" he greeted politely. He then shifted his eyes to April; "Err-your ride is here, I'll head out. It was nice seeing that your okay, get well soon and I'll see you next week, hopefully" he said with a small smile.

April nodded; "You bet, thanks Matthew" she replied.

"Good day Dr. Avery" Matthew said politely before scampering away.

Jackson walked towards April as he watches the Paramedic walk towards his rig; "Where the hell is Lexie? She's supposed to stay with you till I return"

April raised her brow, clearly noticing the shift in Jackson's mood; "Derek paged her so I told her to go" she replied.

Jackson turned his gaze towards April; "Is it 911?" he asked.

"Nope" April replied while eyeing him tentatively, gauging his reaction.

Jackson bit his tongue hard to keep himself from lashing out irrationally; he promised himself that he'll never do anything to upset April again and he'll stand by that promise even if it cause him a bloody tongue. He took a deep breath before pasting a smile on his face; "Ready to go?"

"I'm impressed"

"I'm sorry?" Jackson asked, clearly confused by her statement.

April let out a small smile; "I was 100% sure there that you'll be biting my head off after Matthew left but you didn't" she said. "And you acted civil there-well kinda, if you disregard how you were looking at him" she added as an afterthought.

Jackson cringed; "Am I that obvious?"

"You're glaring at the man for goodness sake, obvious is an understatement" April said with a chuckle.

Jackson scratched the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed by his actions.

April leaned forward and grasped his hand; "You don't have any reason to be jealous of Matthew, we're just good friends and he's with Stephanie" she explained.

Jackson's eyes widen in surprise; "Edwards?" he asked.

April chuckled; "Yeah"

"Wow" Jackson breathed out.

April squeezed Jackson hand; "Does that mean you'll be a little bit nicer to him?" she asked.

Jackson squeezed April's hand back before letting out a boyish smile; Of course I'll be nicer, he's your friend and he's dating Stephanie" he said smugly.

April giggled; "That's good to hear then"

"You ready to go home now?" Jackson asked.

April felt her heart skip a beat upon hearing the word _home_; she let out huge smile before nodding. "Yeah, I'm ready to come home with you"

Jackson tightened his hold on April's hand; "Let's go home then" he said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson drove by April's apartment to get a few things; she insisted to come with him but he was adamant to make her sit inside his car because he doesn't want her climbing the stairs. April argued fiercely because she doesn't want him riffling through her underwear drawer but was forced to give in when Jackson pointed out, somewhat smugly that she has nothing to be ashamed off because he already saw it all. That statement alone made her clamp her mouth shut and made her cheeks flush deep red; so now, here she is, sitting alone inside Jackson's car and waiting for him to come back from her apartment.

"I got your things" Jackson announced as he pulls his door open.

April cleared her throat; "Did you get my toiletries as well?" she asked.

Jackson slid into his seat and closed the door behind him; he then leaned towards the back seat and deposited the large duffel bag on it. "Yep, I even brought your tampons"

April's eyes widen in mortification; "Jackson!" she hissed, clearly embarrassed.

Jackson turned towards April and threw her a confused look; "What?"

April averted her gaze, her whole face turning even brighter.

"Come on now Apes, I'm a doctor, you're a doctor so there's no reason for you to be shy. And besides, what if your period comes? I sure as hell don't keep tampons in my place, it's better to prepared; I don't want you running into a drug store all by yourself"

"Please let's not talk about my period" April mumbled.

Jackson switched on the ignition and smirked at April; "I don't get why this mortifies you, it's not the first time I saw them you know"

"It's still different!" April shrieked.

Jackson chuckled as he navigates his car away from the parking lot; "It's not, it's all in your head. I use to buy them for you when we're still living in Mer's house, remember? When you're too tired to haul your ass off the bed because you're PMS-ing? This is not different for me so get over it"

"I'm not sleeping with you then-argh! Let's just stop talking about it, please?"

Jackson shrugged his shoulders; "Fine with me" he replied.

April took a deep calming breath before shifting her gaze out of the window.

Jackson threw April a side glance; "You can take a nap if you want too, I know you're tired"

April turned her head to the side and stared at Jackson with a small smile; "You're actually sweet when you're not channelling obnoxious Alex"

Jackson laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Dr. Hunt, multiple incoming Traumas in 10. There's a huge pile up near Pikes and their taking all the casualties here. 5 ambulances are on its way"

"Page all the Surgical Attending's 911 to the pit" Owen instructed.

"Right away Chief"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson unlocked the door to his apartment and pushed it open; "Here we are" he announced.

April took a tentative step inside the threshold and can't help but be amazed at how big it was; "Wow" she breathed out.

Jackson closed the door behind them and let out a small smile; "What do you think?" he asked.

April turned her eyes towards the huge shoes portrait on her side before turning her gaze towards Jackson; "Those are big shoes" she said.

Jackson chuckled; "They are indeed"

April took another step and began looking around the flat; after a moment she turned her gaze back to Jackson and smiled. "You have a very beautiful home"

"Thank you" Jackson replied.

"It's even bigger than the apartment we shared with Alex"

Jackson walked towards the L-shape couch and placed April's bags on top of it; "I wasn't originally planning on getting this place but I changed my mind when I saw the view" he said while gesturing towards the glass sliding doors.

"What's the view?" April asked curiously.

"It has a good view of the Seattle sky line"

"Really?" April asked.

"I'll show you later" Jackson promised.

"I'd like that"

"Want to see your room?" Jackson asked.

April nodded; "Yeah"

Jackson fell into step with April and wrapped his arm around April's waist; "Come then,"

April raised her brow at Jackson; "Err-you are aware that I can walk without supervision right?"

"I know, I just want an excuse to touch you, so just pretend that you can't-indulge me?" Jackson asked candidly.

April blinked a couple of times before smiling; "You Jackson Avery are full of surprises" she said.

Jackson winked; "You haven't seen the best yet babe"

April felt her cheeks flush upon hearing the familiar endearment; she quickly averted her gaze and cleared her throat. "Let's go"

Jackson wanted to tease her more but decided against it; he loved making her blush but flustering her every step of the way might make her run for the hills. "Okay"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Owen walked towards Mark; "Is Avery back?" he asked.

"No, he told me he was taking the rest of the day off, why?" Mark asked.

"Is he on call?"

"Yes he is"

"Page him, we need him. There's a huge pile up in Pikes, 5 ambulances are on its way and I'm quite sure there'd be a lot of burned patients" Owen explained.

Mark scrunched his face; "Ouch"

"I know"

Mark plucked his phone from his pocket; "I'll call him then" he replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson just left April in her room when his phone started ringing; he plucked the device from his pocket and frowned upon seeing his mentor's name flashing on the screen. He hastily tapped on the answer button and shifted his phone to his ear; "This better be hospital related and not you being nosey"

Mark chuckled; "This is indeed hospital related, I wouldn't call you otherwise. We need you back, there's a huge pile up in Pikes and 5 ambulances are on its way, all hands are on deck, seems like we'll be having a party here with the number of burn victims"

Jackson winced; "That's the reason why we got stuck in traffic"

"Yep. So, help Kepner settle down and get your ass here, okay?"

Jackson sighed; "Alright"

"Don't sound like sad puppy, you'll be coming home to her tonight, let the poor woman rest before you continue nipping at her heels"

Jackson can't help but laugh at Mark's antics; "Fine. See you in a bit" he said before hanging up. He shoved his phone back his pocket and made his way towards April's room; he stood right in front of her door and knocked.

"Come in!" April yelled.

Jackson pushed the door open; "I need to go back to the hospital, huge pile up in Pikes, all hands are on deck" he said apologetically.

April cringed; "How bad is it?"

"5 ambulances are on its way" Jackson replied.

"Oh god, that's awful!"

"I know" Jackson said. He then leaned on the door frame; "I really feel bad leaving you here alone..." he sighed.

April shook her head adamantly; "Don't feel bad _Jackman_, you're needed at the hospital more than I need you here. I can manage on my own, I'll be fine" she said.

"Are you sure?" Jackson asked.

April smiled; "I promise I won't destroy your bachelor's pad nor snoop around your underwear drawer" she joked.

Jackson grinned; "Feel free to do whatever you want-including snooping around my underwear drawer, it's only fair-I already saw yours"

"Jackson!" April shrieked.

Jackson laughed as he pulls away from his perch; "I'm going, call me if you need anything and I mean _everything_" he said seriously.

April nodded; "I will, drive safely" she said.

Jackson spun on his heels and began walking away; "Watch some T.V or use my laptop if you want to surf the net, entertain yourself" he called out.

April rolled her eyes, but a tiny smile is visible on her lips; "Yes mom!"

Jackson laughs echoed along the hallway.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was flicking through the channels when she heard her phone ring for the nth time; she slowly leaned forward and grabbed the device from the coffee table. She shook her head upon seeing Jackson's name flashing on the screen; she tapped on the answer button and shifted the phone to her ear. "Again?"

"I'm just checking on you, what are you up to?"

April leaned back on the couch, a smile playing on her lips; "Nothing much, I'm just watching T.V" she replied. "How about you?"

"Just got out of my 3rd surgery" Jackson replied.

"You sound tired" April said.

"Kinda, I've been in and out of the O.R since I left the apartment"

April shifted her eyes to the digital clock on top of the T.V; "8 hours?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jackson replied.

"Have you eaten?" April asked.

"No time to eat"

April furrowed her brows; "What do you mean you have no time? I'm pretty sure you can squeeze in a bite or two" she said.

"I don't want to sound squeamish or anything but seeing a lot of burnt flesh doesn't really help my appetite" Jackson said with a chuckle.

April giggled; "Oh right" she replied. She then paused when a thought hit her; "What time will you be here?" she asked.

"I'm done for the day so I'll be home in a few, is there something you want me to pick up for you?" Jackson asked.

"Nope, just come home" April replied.

"Okay, see you 30" Jackson said.

"Drive safely, bye" April said before pulling the phone away from her ear. She placed it back on top of the coffee table and hauled herself up; "Let's see what you're hiding here" she said with a smirk.

"You talking with Kepner?" Mark asked as sidled up next to his prot.

Jackson stuffed his phone inside his pocket; "Yep" he replied.

"You checking on her..._again?" _

"I just want to make sure that she's comfortable" Jackson replied.

"You're hovering"

Jackson turned his face to the side; "I'm not hovering"

"You are, you keep calling her in between our surgeries" Mark said.

Jackson pursed his lips; "Like I said, I just want to make sure that she is comfortable"

"Okay" Mark replied.

Jackson gestured towards the elevator; "I better head out, I told April that I'll be home in 30" he said.

Mark crossed his arms on top of his chest, a large grin pasted on his face; "You two are already acting like a married couple, good practice once you two decided to tie the knot."

Jackson smiled; "Really?"

Mark stared at Jackson for a couple of seconds before shaking his head; "Go home to your pseudo wife, you're clearly out of it" he said.

Jackson blinked a couple of times before turning on his heels; "See you tomorrow man" he said with a wave. "_Acting like a married couple-good practice once you two decided to tie the knot...why didn't it bother me like it did before?" _he asked himself as he steps inside the elevator.

"Is that Jackson?" Lexie asked as she walks towards her fiancé.

Mark turned around; "Yep,"

"Where is he going?" Lexie asked.

Mark grinned widely; "He's coming home to his pseudo wife"

Lexie stopped right in front of Mark; "Wife?" she asked with a smile.

Mark wrapped his arms around Lexie's waist and pulled her to his chest; "Yep"

Lexie snaked her arms around Mark's neck; "Did you remind him that April is still out of commission?"

Mark winced; "I kinda forgot"

Lexie chuckled before planting a kiss on Mark's nose; "It's alright, those kids will behave" she said.

"Get a room!" Alex yelled as he passed by the couple.

Lexie burst out giggling as she buries her face into Mark's neck.

"You're just jealous because you're on call tonight!" Mark called out.

"Whatever!" Alex yelled grumpily.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson pushed his apartment door open and stepped inside the threshold; he hung his keys on the hook and closed the door behind him. "April?" he called out.

"I'm in the kitchen!"

Jackson took his jacket off as he saunters inside the living room; he threw it on the couch and made his way towards the kitchen. He stopped right in front of the breakfast bar and stared at the bustling red head on the other side; "What part of the word _rest _don't you understand, woman?"

April lowered the heat on the stove and met Jackson's gaze; "Err-that was fast"

Jackson placed his hands on his hips; "Uhuh"

April shied away from his gaze and focused her attention to her boiling pasta; "Dinner is almost ready"

"Uhuh..."

April let out a defeated sigh; "Fine. I know I'm not supposed to do anything but I can't help it, you sound so tired and I know that you're hungry-I wanted to do something nice for you, so I cooked you dinner" she explained.

Jackson felt his affection grew even bigger for the stubborn woman standing right in front of him; he's the one who's supposed to be taking care of her but she somehow end up doing it for him-on their first day none the less. He felt his chest tighten with so much emotion; "I love you" he blurted out.

April felt her eyes widen in surprise; her heart doing cartwheels inside her chest "Oh" she gasped.

Jackson felt his cheeks flush when he realized what he just said; he scratched the back of his neck, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Err-sorry-I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable..."

April's cheeks flush; "Y-you're not making me feel uncomfortable" she mumbled. She then bit her bottom lip to keep herself from grinning widely; "It actually felt good hearing you say it-_freely" _she admitted.

Jackson shyly met April's gaze; "Really?"

"Yeah, it felt_ really _good" April said.

Jackson blinked a couple of times before puffing out the air that he seems to be holding; "It felt good saying it-it's _liberating" _he said with a small smile.

April stared at Jackson for a couple of seconds before giggling at the absurdity of what just happened; "We sound like teenagers for a second there"

Jackson chuckled; "Yeah we did" he agreed. He then placed his hands on his hips again; "What are you making by the way?" he asked.

April perked up; "I snooped around your fridge and cupboards but I couldn't find anything to work with so it's spaghetti night for us" she replied.

"Spaghetti sounds nice" Jackson said.

"I'm glad you approve" April said. She then switched off the stove and grabbed some pot holders; "Why don't you freshen up and I'll get dinner ready in 5?"

Jackson shook his head as he began rounding the breakfast bar; "No lifting for you Dr. Kepner"

April rolled her eyes; "This is not even heavy!" she protested.

Jackson rolled his sleeves up his arms and pulled the pot holder from April's hand; "Why don't you just grab us some plates and I'll get this?"

April thought for a moment; "Okay, sounds fair so far" she relented.

Jackson shook his head; "Only you will gauge something mundane as this"

April chuckled.

* * *

"_**Because your kiss, your kiss is on my list, because your kiss is on my list of the best things in life. Because your kiss, your kiss is on my list, because your kiss, your kiss I can't resist. Because your kiss is what I miss when I turn off the light..."**_

* * *

April and Jackson ate their dinner between small talks; he told her about his surgeries and she talked about what she did with the rest of her day. It was the first meal they shared in months and they were both surprised that it didn't feel awkward; they still have it in them and both are quite pleased.

"I missed your home cooked meals" Jackson said before shoving the last bite of pasta inside his mouth, chewing with relish.

"What have you been eating then?" April asked curiously before taking a sip of her water.

Jackson swallowed his food before replying; "Take outs mostly" he replied.

April shook her head; "You should learn how to cook you know, eating processed food all the time is bad for your health" she said somewhat pointedly.

"I take it that you've seen my secret stack?"

April wrinkled her nose in distaste; "It's hard to miss, you have a whole cupboard of instant noodles-a _cupboard_ _full_, really Jackson?"

Jackson took a sip of his beer; "It's the easiest thing to cook" he replied nonchalantly.

April leaned towards the table and braised her elbows on top; "Tell you what, I'll teach you how to cook some basic recipes so you won't have to binge on those unhealthy stuff"

Jackson leaned back on his chair, pondering on April's suggestion; "We can do that, I guess"

April beamed; "Perfect! I'll go to the grocery down the street tomorrow and buy some-"

"Whoah! Hold on right there" Jackson interjected.

"What?" April asked confusedly.

"Have you forgotten something?"

"Forgotten what?"

Jackson pointed towards April's stomach; "You just had surgery and you're supposed to be _resting_ and _taking it easy_"

April's shoulders slump in disappointment; "Oh yeah-_that" _

Jackson eyed April for a moment; "Give me a list of the things you want to buy and I'll go get them"

April's eyes widen; "Really?"

Jackson smiled; "Really"

April smiled back; "Thank you _Jackman!" _she said happily.

Jackson felt warmth settle inside his chest upon seeing the happiness radiating from April's eyes; "_Even the smallest things can make her happy, gods I love this woman" _he thought.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April stepped out of her bathroom and made her way towards her bed; she pulled the duvet down and slowly climbed up. She tucked her feet under the warm blanket and leaned back on the pillows; today had been a weird day for her and yet one of the happiest. Never in her wildest dream did she imagine that she'd up living with Jackson again-especially after everything they've been through. Heck, it never even crossed her mind that he'll end up returning her feelings and be comfortable in admitting it every time the feeling strikes; he was a _revelation _for her and she's enjoying seeing the different sides of him every day.

"April?"

April turned her gaze towards her door; "Yeah?"

"I'm going to sleep now, do you need anything?"

April let out a smile; _"He can be the sweetest thing if he wants too" _she thought. "Nope, I'm good-sleep tight _Jackman!" _

"You too! I'll see you tomorrow, good night" Jackson called out.

April shifted to her side and switched off her night lamp; she settled back on her pillows and closed her eyes.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson closed the door behind him and padded towards his bed; he took off his slippers and fell face first on his pillow. He lazily lifted his legs from the floor and burrowed under the covers; he was close to dozing off when he heard his phone ringing loudly. He blindly reached towards his side table and snatched his phone; he tapped on the answer button without looking and shifted it to his ear. "Ello"

"Oh baby I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you up"

Jackson groaned loudly; "Mom, what do you want at this hour?"

"Some birdie told me that April is staying with you-is that true baby?"

Jackson's eyes snapped open; he rolled over and sat himself up. "Richard you mean?"

Catherine chuckled; "So, is it true?"

"Yes she is. I just can't leave her alone after her operation and I-"

"Slow down baby, you don't have to explain yourself to me" Catherine said, cutting her son's rambling off. "I'm actually happy that you stepped up to help your _best friend" _

It didn't escape Jackson's notice when his mother enunciated the last word, making him roll his eyes. "It's late mom and I have work tomorrow, is there anything else you need aside from badgering me about April?"

"There is actually..."

Jackson sat straighter as alarm bells started ringing loudly in his ears; "What did you do?" he asked.

"I'll be flying to Seattle in an hour" Catherine replied.

"Why? Do you need me to pick you up at the airport?"

"No honey, Richard will be picking me up"

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Is it hospital matters?"

"Yes but not with Seattle Grace, I've been invited to do a small talk in Seattle Pres" Catherine explained.

"Oh okay"

"I have a question for you though,"

"Shoot"

"How do you feel about spending the whole week off?" Catherine asked cautiously.

Jackson's eyes widen, clearly not expecting his mother's question; "I'm sorry?"

"Well, since I'll be flying out there and you're in charge of April's care-I'm thinking about stepping in for you a bit so that you can actually spend time _taking care _of her, if that makes sense..."

Jackson was caught off guard by Catherine's offer; "I-I don't know what to say mom..." he admitted.

"You can think about it baby, no need to rush."

Jackson began fiddling with his blanket; "I mean, I want to-it's just that I can't do that to Mark you know..."

"Talk to Mark then, ask him if it's alright with him and if he is then, it's done-take a whole week off"

"It's that easy?"

Catherine chuckled; "Of course it is, you're the head of the board baby, it's one of the perks"

Jackson can't help but grin at his mother's statement; "One of the perks indeed"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Lexie was lounging on Mark's sofa when she heard his phone ringing; she leaned forward and snatched it from the coffee table. She felt a smirk crawl up her lips upon seeing Jackson's name flashing on the screen; she tapped on the answer button without preamble and shifted the phone to her ear. "Don't tell me you manage to bust open April's incision again" she drawled.

"Lexie?"

"No, I'm Mark's mother-who else are you expecting?"

Jackson chuckled; "Where's Mark? I need to ask him something and before you start barraging with questions again I'll answer them for you now. No, we did not make out so April's stitches are intact and yes she is already safely tucked inside the guest room, sleeping like a baby"

Lexie smirked; "Good, let me get Mark for you" she replied. She then pulled the phone away from her ear and turned around; "Jackson is on the phone honey!" she yelled loudly.

Mark stepped out of his room, his brows furrowed; "Don't tell me Kepner is bleeding again" he said as he walks towards the sofa.

Lexie chuckled; "Nope, I already asked him that, she's fine" she replied.

Mark plopped down beside Lexie and pulled the phone away from her grasp; he then leaned back on the couch and shifted the device to his ear. "What's up?"

"Hey man, I'm sorry for calling in late" Jackson said.

"It's cool" Mark replied.

"Err-I called to ask you if it's alright if I take the whole week off? My mom called me a couple of minutes ago and told me that she'll be flying to Seattle tomorrow..."

"You want to take a week off to spend time with your mom?"

Jackson cleared his throat; "Err-not exactly, if I agreed to take the week off then she'll be stepping in for me to do the board stuff..."

Mark grinned; "Are you taking the week off so you can shack up with Kepner?"

Lexie's attention was caught with her fiancé's words so she hastily hit on the mute button; she turned to face Mark, her brow raised.

"We're already shacking up in case you have forgotten,"

"Let me rephrase myself, you want to take a week off so can continue nipping at her heels without any disruption?"

Lexie giggled.

Jackson groaned; "Look man, I just want to spend time with her you know, to actually take care of her and not check on her via phone every hour. We never had time to ourselves and I think this is the perfect opportunity to reacquaint with one another and all that jazz. But I don't want to do that if you will end up with a heavier case load" he explained.

"Take the week off" Mark said with a smile.

"Huh?" Jackson asked, clearly not expecting Mark's response.

"Take the week off. I have 2 other Attendings on my beck and call, so don't worry about it"

"Are you sure?"

"In one condition"

"What?"

Mark grinned; "You'll tell me _all _about it when you get back"

Jackson can't help but laugh at Mark's statement; "You are one nosey bastard"

"And you are one _whipped _puppy" Mark quipped jovially.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April opened her eyes groggily and blinked a couple of times; she yawned loudly but instantly covered her mouth with her hand when she remembered that she's not in her own apartment. She scooted closer to the headboard and slowly sat herself up; she reached for her phone from the side table and checked the time; "7:00 A.M, he's probably on his way to work now" she said to herself. She placed the phone back on its original perch and threw the blanket off her body; she moved towards the edge of the bed and planted her feet firmly on the carpeted floor. She rubbed the sleep off her eyes before standing up; she made her way towards the bathroom and began her morning rituals.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson hangs his keys on the hook and closed the front door quietly; he walked towards his kitchen and placed the paper bags on top of the breakfast bar. He shrugged off his jacket and flung it on one of the high chairs; he walked towards the cupboards and grabbed a couple of plates. He then walked back towards breakfast bar and placed the plates on top of the counter; he was about to take the food out of the paper bags but stopped when he heard his phone ringing. He furrowed his brows and plucked the offending device from his back pocket; he tapped on the answer button and shifted it to his ear. "Morning Mom"

"Good morning baby boy! I'm just calling to let you know that I arrived safely"

Jackson braised the phone on his shoulder and continued prepping their breakfast; "Did Richard pick you up?" he asked.

"Yep, we're on our way to his house" Catherine replied.

"Wait-you're not staying at a hotel?" Jackson asked.

"Richard insisted that I should stay at his house, it's more comfortable and it's near the hospital"

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Yeah right" he scoffed.

Catherine ignored her son's reaction; "How's April? Is she already awake? Are you taking care of her?"

"I'm not sure if she's already awake and yes-I'm being the perfect host" Jackson replied evasively. He then grabbed the other paper bag and gently took out the coffee's he bought for them; he separated April's drink and took a sip from his own.

"Good. So I take it that your taking the week off?"

Jackson placed his cup back on the counter; "As if you don't know already" he replied.

Catherine laughed; "I have my ways"

"You mean Richard is your way" Jackson corrected. He then paused when he heard April's door open and close; "I gotta go, I think April is already awake" he said.

"Ooohhh, can you hand her the phone for a second? I want to check on her myself"

"I don't think that's a good idea Mom, it's too early for an interrogation" Jackson said.

"Oh hush! I will do no such thing!"

Jackson opened his mouth to retort but held his tongue when he saw April walking towards his way; "Hold on a sec" he said. He then pulled the phone away from his ear and smiled at the sleepy red head; "Good morning, you're up early" he said.

April blinked a couple of times as she stifles her yawn; "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" she asked confusedly.

"Nope, no work today"

"Is it your off?" April asked.

"Nope" Jackson replied. He then extended the hand that's holding his phone to her; "My meddling mother is asking to speak to you, I'm apologizing now for what she's about to say."

April let out a chuckle; she accepted the phone and shifted it to her ear. "Good morning Dr. Avery"

"Good morning honey! And what did I say about calling me Catherine?"

April cringed; "Err-sorry, force of habit" she replied.

Jackson noticed April's reaction so he mouthed another apology.

April waved her hand dismissively.

"How are you honey? I was so worried about you! I'm happy to know that you're staying with my baby boy"

April felt her affection for Catherine grew bigger upon hearing the concern in her voice; "I'm actually feeling better now, I'm still a little sore but nothing I can't handle" she said. She then turned towards Jackson and threw him a smile; "Jackson has been perfect, he's taking good care for me and I'm thankful for that."

"You don't have an idea how that made me happy honey!"

April giggled.

"Well honey as much as I want to talk to you more I know my son is itching to have you all to himself so I'll let you go."

April's cheeks flush; "Err—I'm sure that's not the case..."

Catherine chortled happily; "I'll try to drop by one of these days so we can catch up, okay?"

"Okay"

"Go to go honey, tell my baby boy I said goodbye!" Catherine said.

"I will" April replied.

"See you soon! Bye!"

"Bye!" April said before pulling the phone away from her ear.

"I'm sorry, I should've told her you were still sleeping" Jackson said.

April shook her head as she placed his phone on top of the counter; "You have nothing to be sorry about, I love talking to your mother-she's _entertaining" _she said.

Jackson snorted; "More like annoying" he said.

"Don't let her hear you say that" April warned with a smirk.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Because I'll never hear the end of it, I know" he replied.

April tugged one of the high chairs and slowly perched herself up; she noticed the plates on top of the counter so she threw Jackson a curious look. "You bought breakfast?"

"Yep" Jackson replied. He grabbed April's coffee and placed it right in front of her; "I also bought your favourite; skinny cafe mocha with a dash of cinnamon-no whip" he said proudly.

April eyed the cup right in front of her, emotions swirling inside her chest.

Jackson noticed the change in April's demeanor; "Err-did I order you the wrong cup? You really don't have to drink it if you don't-"

"No you didn't, it's perfect" April said, cutting Jackson off.

Jackson cocked his head to the side; "Then what's wrong?"

April shifted her eyes back to Jackson; "I'm just surprised-I didn't think you'd remember..."

Jackson braised his arms on top of the counter; "Of course I'd remember, I remember a lot of things about you, you know" he said.

April wrapped her hands around the warm cup; "Really? Give me an example then," she challenged.

Jackson lifted his hand and began rubbing his chin, pretending to think hard; "You're a sucker for holidays; Christmas, New year, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentines-even Ann Arbor day. You keep a stack of liquorice inside your room because eating them reminds you of your childhood, which gives you comfort especially after a hard day. You hate stuffed toys because it creeps you out-clowns and mascots are also out of the picture because they scare you shitless" he paused and smirked. "How am I doing so far?" he asked.

April stared at Jackson with awe; "Wow, you were not kidding when you said you remembered stuff about me"

Jackson stole a piece of bacon from the plate and popped it in his mouth; "I told you so" he said after chewing. He then wiped his fingers on a napkin and stood straight; he grabbed a plate from his side and placed it beside April's coffee; "Why don't we eat this stuff before it gets cold, yeah?"

April shook her head to clear her thoughts; "Yeah, let's" she replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Cristina placed her tray on top of the table and sat down; "Is it me or Pretty boy is not here yet?"

"He's not in and he will be not in until next week" Lexie replied.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked before taking a bite of his clubhouse.

Lexie grinned widely; "He took a week off to take care of April"

Meredith turned her gaze towards Cristina; "I knew it! Those two are already together, they're just hiding it from us"

"Well it's about time, don't you think?" Alex said with a smirk.

"Err-sorry to burst your bubble guys but they're not yet together, well, that's what April told me" Lexie said.

Cristina cackled loudly; "So Kepner is hanging lover boy to dry? I love Cruel Kepner"

The whole table erupted with laughter.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was flicking through the channels when he heard footsteps walking towards him; he turned his head sideways and saw a freshly showered April. "Come sit with me"

April made her way towards the couch and settled herself beside Jackson; "What are you watching?"

Jackson wiggled the remote towards April; "You pick"

April raised her brow; "You're really handing me the remote? You're not scared that I might choose some cheesy chic flick?"

Jackson deposited the remote on April's lap before leaning back on the sofa; "Give me your best shot" he said with a grin.

April stared at Jackson for a moment before grabbing the remote control from her lap; she pointed it towards the T.V and switched it to the _Hallmark _channel.

oOo

**_Three hours later..._**

oOo

April sniffed loudly as she watched the credits roll up; she wiped her cheeks with her tissue and took a deep calming breath. "This movie is the perfect depiction of true love. I mean-how can you keep on loving someone who keeps on disappearing on you-it's crazy!" she said. When she didn't get a response, she turned her head to the side; "I thought so..." she whispered upon seeing Jackson's sleeping form. She switched off the T.V and placed the remote back on the coffee table; she then shifted on her perch so she can watch him fully. "Well you did put up a good fight-you were able to stay awake with _The Notebook and Must love dogs, _that's a record-normally you fall asleep after the first half of the movie" she said with a small smile. She then turned to her side and snatched the small throw blanket; she leaned forward and carefully draped it on her best friend's sleeping form. She bit her lower lip while staring at his face; _"How on earth are you still ridiculously handsome even when you're sleeping?" _she thought. She let out a wistful sigh as she leans forward, gently cupping his face with her right hand; "You've been very good to me _Jackman _and my resolve to make you wait longer is crumbling every minute you show this new side of you. Are you using your Avery charm on me or is this the real you?" she asked, albeit quietly. She took her time studying his face and felt her breath hitch in her throat when her eyes landed on his lips; _"He's taken good care of you so far, it's just a little token of appreciation, it won't hurt and he wouldn't know so it won't mess anything up, right?" _she thought. She pulled her hand away and hefted herself up from the sofa; she leaned towards Jackson and gently pressed her lips to his. She lingered for a couple of seconds before pulling away; "I guess it only works with princesses huh?" she said with a small smile. She then stood straight and made her way towards the kitchen; "Time to fix some lunch" she said jovially.

Jackson waited for a couple of minutes before opening his eyes; he has been awake the whole time and he can't believe April just kissed him. They have already kissed a multiple times but this one seemed different; it was innocent and he loved every second of it. He felt a large uncontrollable smile crawl up his lips so he turned to his side to hide it; he knows he's sporting one of those giddy school girl look so he buried his face into one of the pillows. "_I'm on the right track after all" _he thought happily.

* * *

"_**I go crazy wondering what there is to really see, did the night just take up your time, 'cause it means more to me. Sometimes I forget what I'm doing, I don't forget what I want, I want, regret what I've done, regret you? I couldn't go on but if you insist on blowing my bliss, I'll tell you this, if you want to know what the reason is, I only smile when I lie, then I'll tell you why..."**_

* * *

"Dr. Sloan"

Mark turned around and was surprised to see Catherine Avery standing behind him; "Dr. Avery" he greeted politely.

Catherine stopped right in front of her son's mentor; "It's nice seeing you again Dr. Sloan"

"It's nice seeing you too, is there anything I can help you with?" Mark asked curiously.

"Oh no dear, I just wanted to thank you personally for letting my baby boy take a week off"

Mark waved his hand dismissively; "It was nothing" he replied. "He's better off at home anyway or he'll end up annoying April with his incessant phone calls every other hour."

Catherine stared at Mark curiously before letting out a sly smile; "You're meddling too, aren't you?"

Mark felt his cheeks flush; "Err-not really..."

Catherine chuckled; "It's alright dear, those two need all the help they can get"

Mark can't help but grin at Catherine's statement; "You're also rooting for them to be together?"

"Who do you think gave Jackson the idea to take the week off?" Catherine asked with a conspiring wink.

Mark grinned wider as he places his hands on his hips; "Dr. Avery, I'm liking you more now" he said.

Catherine laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson wiped his hand on the dishrag; "Are you done with the list?" he asked.

"Yep" April replied as she puts her pen down. She then shifted her eyes to Jackson; "Are you sure you can do it alone? I can come with you..."

Jackson stared at April indignantly; "Of course I can do it and no you can't come"

April threw Jackson the _look_; "I promise to behave..."

Jackson hastily averted his gaze; knowing that if he looks at her longer, he'll cave in-she knows that he can't say no when she wears that blasted look and she's using it now; "You're not using that look on me Kepner!" he said.

"What look? I don't know what you mean" April said innocently.

Jackson rolled his eyes; he then leaned forward and snatched the list from the table; "I better get to this then" he said.

"Jackson!" April whined.

Jackson chuckled as he rounded the counter; "Just be a good patient and rest" he said. He then stopped right in front of April and smiled; "I won't take long, entertain yourself for the mean time" he said.

April pouted.

"Cute" Jackson said. He then leaned forward and planted a chase kiss on her forehead; "I'll be back soon" he said before turning on his heels and walking towards the living room.

"You better stick to my list _Jackman_, don't mess up my ingredients!" April called out.

Jackson's laughter bounced around the hallway.

April bit her bottom lip to keep herself from giggling.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Is that Momma Avery? What is she doing here?" Lexie asked as she walks towards her fiancé.

Mark turned towards Lexie with a huge smile; "She's here to meddle"

Lexie raised her brow; "Meddle with that?"

"With my boy and your girl"

Lexie stopped right in front of Mark; "Really?"

Mark nodded; "Yep,"

Lexie smiled; "So we're not the only ones who thinks that they need help?"

Mark laughed; "Nope, we're not the only ones"

"Have you heard from Jackson?" Lexie asked.

"Nope, have you heard from April?"

Lexie furrowed her brows; "Come to think of it, she never called me once" she mused. She then fumbled with her pocket and fished her phone out; "Let me call her to see what those two are up to" she said while thumbing through her contacts.

Mark rubbed his hands together; "Go ahead"

Lexie shifted her phone to her ear and waited for the call to connect; after a couple of rings, she heard her friend's perky voice. "Hey Apes"

"Lexie!"

"How are you? I haven't heard from you in ages! How's Jackson treating you? You having fun?" Lexie fired questions after questions.

April chuckled; "Slow down Lex!" she said. "Everything's fine. I was supposed to call you but you beat me to it, Jackson has been perfect-he's taking good care of me and yes, I'm having fun"

"I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying yourself, speaking of Jackson, is he there with you? Is he rolling his eyes now?"

"He just left, he went to the grocery store to buy us some stuff, I wanted to come with him but he refused, as usual"

Lexie threw Mark an amused look; "He's at a grocery store? Does he even know how to shop?"

Mark smirked and pulled his phone out; "I'll check on my boy" he mouthed while wiggling his mobile.

Lexie nodded at Mark.

April giggled; "He said he can manage, who am I to argue?"

"Let's just hope he makes it out alive" Lexie said.

"Yeah," April replied.

"Well Apes, gotta go, I'm just checking on you-I'll touch base with you again later, okay?"

"Okay, thanks for calling Lex and visit me soon!"

"Will do, enjoy!" Lexie said.

April chuckled; "Bye Lex!"

Lexie pulled the phone away from her ear and stuffed it inside her lab coat pocket; "Jackson in a grocery store?" she said with a smirk.

"I know" Mark replied. He then tapped on his phone and shifted it to his ear; "Let's see what he's up to"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was on the produce aisle looking for the item on April's list when he heard his phone ringing; he halted his steps and plucked his phone from his pocket. He checked the screen and let out a loud groan upon seeing his mentor's name flashing; he tapped on the answer button and shifted the phone to his ear. "Are you already regretting your decision to let me take the week off?"

"Of course not, your Momma is doing a splendid job in handling the board stuff, I think we might request for her to take your place permanently" Mark joked.

Jackson furrowed his brows; "My mom is there already?"

"Yeah, I just saw her a couple of minutes ago"

Jackson thought for a moment, then it hits him; "Argghhhh!" he groaned.

"Err-I don't speak animal Avery, what do you mean by that?"

Jackson shook his head; "Never mind. What's up? Why did you call?"

"I'm just checking on you, where you at?"

Jackson began pushing his cart; "I'm at a grocery store, I'm picking up food"

"Grocery store?"

"Yep" Jackson replied as he peruses the fridge filled with dairy. "What's the difference between salted or unsalted butter? It's still butter, right?'

"Of course not! Unsalted butter is mainly used for baking whereas the normal butter is good for cooking dishes" Mark explained.

Jackson whistled; "Wow, Lexie was really not kidding when he called you _Master Doctor-Chef" _

Mark chuckled; "Yeah, and you are turning into a _very _domestic _husband" _

Jackson grinned and let the comment pass; he then turned his eyes on the list and winced. "Can you stay on the phone or are you busy?"

"I'm not busy, why?"

"I need some help with err-the stuff that April listed, want to enlighten me a bit?"

"Bring it on, what else do you need aside from butter?"

* * *

oOo

* * *

April just finished tidying the living room when she heard the door being unlocked; she wiped her hands on her sweat pants and tucked the stray hair behind her ear, her eyes fixed on the door.

Jackson pushed the door open and stepped inside the threshold; he closed the door behind him using his foot and began making his way towards the living room. He halted in his steps when he saw April standing near the couch, her face flushed red; he surveyed his surroundings and noticed that everything is in place. "Did you just clean my living room?"

April shifted in her feet; "I didn't do much, I just fixed some stuff" she replied.

Jackson stared at April for a moment before shaking his head; "Doctors do really make terrible patients" he said. He then continued his trek and made his way towards the kitchen; he placed the paper bags on top of the breakfast counter and took off his jacket.

"Come on _Jackman, _you know me, I'm a neat freak and it's the least thing I can do for you-you let me stay here for free and I even asked you to run to the grocery" April said as she walks towards Jackson.

Jackson rolled his eyes; he then grabbed the nearest paper bag from him and gently pried it open. He threw April a look before pulling out a single stem yellow rose from it; he walked towards the red head and presented it with flourish. "A pretty flower for a very pretty woman"

April felt her breath hitch inside her throat, her eyes wide with surprise; "You-you got me a flower"

Jackson smiled affectionately; "That I did, yellow is your favourite right?"

April lifted her shaking hand and accepted it; "Yeah..." she breathed out while staring at it.

Jackson smiled at her reaction; he then moved back towards the counter and began taking out the things he bought. "So-I got everything you listed, want to start cooking?" he asked.

April shifted her eyes away from the flower and let out a shy smile; "I'll put this first in my room then we can start your lessons"

Jackson nodded; "Sure, go ahead" he replied.

April swallowed hard and spun on her heels; her heart is overflowing with so much happiness inside her chest, making it hard to breathe. Jackson surprised her _again _and she can't help but fall in love with him even further-if that's even impossible. She never expected for him to be _this_ consistent and yet he is; "_He wasn't really kidding when he told me that he'd work hard to deserve that second chance..." _she thought. She stepped into her room and made her way towards her bedside; she sat on her bed before lifting the bloom close to her nose. She took a tentative sniff and felt her heart soar again; she let out a full blown smile and tried her best to stifle her giggles.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"How was your first day?" Richard asked as he enters the conference room.

Catherine lowered the documents she's perusing and shifted her gaze to her beau; "It was good, everything seems to be in place, you guys are doing a great job in running this place" she said with a smile.

Richard let out a smile as he closes the door behind him; "Well, your son is running a tight ship, seems like he got that from you" he teased.

Catherine chuckled; "It's good to know that he learned something from me"

Richard walked towards the desk and braised his hands one of the chair's back; "He's an Avery it comes naturally, he just needed time to realize that I guess"

Catherine smiled; "True. How was your day? Any interesting surgery?"

"Nope, just some routine post ops and consults" Richard replied.

Catherine began stacking the documents and took off her glasses; "Let's call it a day then?"

"That's a good idea. I'll take you to dinner" Richard said with a smile.

"Dinner sounds wonderful" Catherine said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I just cooked a whole meal" Jackson said as he stares at the table with disbelief.

"That you did" April replied.

"I cooked meatloaf-a friggin meatloaf"

April chuckled; "You did, now, do you plan on staring at it the whole night or do you want taste it?"

Jackson threw April an apprehensive look; "How do you think it will taste?"

April gestured towards it; "Why don't you try it for yourself"

Jackson shifted his eyes back to the meatloaf; "Will you still love me if it tastes like shit?" he asked innocently.

April followed his gaze, trying to act cool; "I don't remember telling you that I love you _Jackman_"

Jackson felt his cheeks flush with his slip; he threw April a sheepish look before leaning forward and pulling the meatloaf towards him. "Err—yeah, I remember-err-sorry..." he mumbled as he began carving.

April noticed Jackson's reaction and she can't help but smile; "I was just messing with you, lighten up!" she said jovially.

Jackson lifted his gaze and met April's eyes; "So you're admitting that you love me?" he asked hopefully.

April pretended to think for a moment; "Nope, not hearing those words tonight, I'm afraid"

Jackson smirked; "I thought so_" _he said. He then pulled April's plate towards him and placed a a large serving of his masterpiece; "I haven't been putting much effort _yet_"

April felt her heart melt upon hearing his words; "That's not true...you've been so wonderful to me..."

Jackson shook his head as he returned the plate back to its original perch; he then fixed his gaze at April and stared at her seriously; "You deserve so much more Apes, especially after everything I put you through and please don't fight me on this because you and I both know that it's the truth" he paused. "I love you and I'll do my best to show that to you every single day-I want to be the man who deserves you and I'm close Apes-just bear with me, I'm almost there."

April felt her eyes stinging with tears, she swallowed back the lump in her throat and reached for his hand; "Where have you been the whole time?"

Jackson threw April a shy look; "Hiding?"

April smiled tearfully at Jackson before squeezing his hand; she sniffed loudly and pulled her hand away. "Let's see if this meatloaf will make me _love_ you less, shall we?"

Jackson smiled; "Bon a petit"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Are you heading home?" Derek asked as he saw his best friend stepping out of the elevator.

Mark straightened his jacket; "Yep, just waiting for Lexie" he replied.

"Is she staying with you tonight?" Derek asked.

Mark stopped right in front of Derek; "Not sure but I'm hoping she would"

Derek adjusted the sleeping Zola in his arms; "Now's the perfect time to ask her, she's heading our way"

Mark turned around and saw her fiancé walking along side her sister; "Hey you"

Lexie adjusted the strap on her bag on her shoulder; "Hey"

Mark shoved his hands inside his jean pockets; "Are you staying at their house or are you coming home with me?"

"Will you be mad if I tell you I want to stay home tonight? I need to catch up on some reading and my books are in my room" Lexie replied.

Mark pouted; "Do you really have to read?"

"Yeah, the next instalment is being released tomorrow so I need to finish it..."

Mark sighed; "Okay then,"

Derek stared at Mark in awe; "Wow."

Meredith chuckled at her husband's antics; she adjusted Bailey on her arms before turning towards her sister. "Have you heard anything from April? I haven't gotten the chance to check on her yet"

"I spoke to her briefly this afternoon and she's doing good, looks like Jackson is taking good care of her" Lexie replied.

"Really?" Meredith asked curiously.

"I'm 100% sure. Kepner just _domesticated _an Avery" Mark said proudly.

"_Domesticated? _What do you mean?" Derek asked.

Lexie smirked; "Jackson went grocery shopping this afternoon, it looks like he's cooking for April"

Meredith threw her husband a disturbed look; "Does he even know how to cook?"

Derek shrugged his shoulders; "I don't have the slightest idea."

"My boy will manage, I taught him a thing or two this afternoon" Mark said.

Lexie turned towards Mark; "Let me guess, you spent an hour on the phone with him after I left you?"

Mark nodded; "Yep"

Meredith laughed; "Should we change your namesake now?"

"I don't know, I'm quite partial to Plastic Posses" Mark replied.

Lexie shifted closer to her sister; "Don't get him started Mer, he'll never stop bugging me about it" she whispered.

"Do you think we should change it honey?' Mark asked while eyeing his fiancé.

Meredith threw Lexie an apologetic look; "Oopppss, sorry..."

Lexie glared at Meredith before turning her gaze to Mark; "Plastic Posses is alright. Why don't we go now? It's already getting late" she said,

Derek tapped Mark's back; "Lexie is right, let's go home" he said.

"Okay, let's go" Mark said as he falls into step with Lexie.

Lexie threw Derek a grateful look.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April just finished loading the dishes inside the dishwasher when she heard Jackson's door open and close; she was drying her hands with a dish towel when she saw him walking towards her. "You going to bed?"

"Nope, it's still early. Don't tell me you're going to bed already?" Jackson asked as he opens the fridge.

April neatly folded the dish towel and placed it near the sink; "What do you have in mind?"

Jackson grabbed himself a bottle of beer and closed the fridge; he pointed towards the terrace and smiled. "I was planning on hanging out there for a bit, join me?"

April turned her gaze towards the terrace; "Are you finally showing me the selling point of this flat?"

"Yep,"

April smiled; "Okay"

Jackson turned to the fridge and opened it again; he grabbed a bottle of Tazo tea and closed it shut. "I'm not drinking alone, mango is your favourite right?"

April's eyes widen; "Is-is that Tazo tea?" she asked incredulously.

Jackson wiggled the bottle in his hands; "Yep,"

"How did you-when-"

"The magician never reveals his secret" Jackson said with a wink. He then gestured towards the terrace; "Let's go?"

April couldn't form any words so she just clamped her mouth shut and nodded.

Jackson spun on his heels and began walking towards the glass sliding doors; he unlatched the lock and slid it open. He turned toward April and waited for her reach him; "Ladies first"

April threw Jackson a thankful look before stepping out of the terrace; she let her eyes wander around the spacious place and almost instantly, she understood what Jackson meant.

"Do you like it?" Jackson asked.

April turned her face towards Jackson; "You were right, the view is amazing-I love it" she said with a smile.

Jackson smiled back; "Come here and sit down, you shouldn't be on your feet all the time"

April rolled her eyes; she walked towards the iron wrought chairs and sat down.

Jackson sat adjacent to April and grabbed her bottled tea; he loosened the cap before handing it to the red head. "Here you go"

"Thanks" April replied as she accepted her drink.

Jackson grabbed his beer and popped the cap open; he took a swig of his drink as he reclines back on his chair. "I love hanging out here and just looking at the night sky, it's somehow relaxing"

April shifted her eyes to the skyline and nodded in agreement; "I get you, when I was in Moline I do the same thing."

Jackson turned his head to the side; "I'm quite sure the view there is much prettier than this" he said.

April threw Jackson a side glance and smiled; "Yep, you see actual stars there"

Jackson shifted his eyes back on the sky; "I don't even know if ever saw an actual star, I don't think we have them in Boston"

April stared at Jackson in disbelief; "Really?"

Jackson bobbed his head; "Really."

April shifted her eyes back on the skyline; "That's too bad..."

Jackson chuckled.

"Tell you what, the next time I come home to Moline I'll take you with me so you'll be able to see an actual star"

Jackson's head snapped to the side, his eyes widening in surprise; "Really?"

April turned her head sideways; "Really"

"You're not messing with me again, right?"

April chuckled; "No I'm not"

Jackson stared at April; he then lifted his right hand and stuck out his pinkie finger. "Come on, let's pinkie swear on it"

"Are you for real?"

Jackson just wiggled his pinkie finger in response.

April rolled her eyes playfully; she then turned to her side and looped her right pinkie finger with Jackson's. "Are you happy now?"

Jackson tugged on April's hand and gently pulled her closer, eyeing her seductively. "Am I pushing it too far if ask to seal this deal with a kiss?" he asked huskily.

April's eyes strayed towards Jackson's lips and felt the familiar surge of butterflies inside her belly; she licked her lips before shifting her eyes to meet his. "Are you using your Avery sparkle on me?"

Jackson let out a sexy smile; "Is it working?"

April shifted her eyes back to his lips; _"You already kissed him this afternoon, one more kiss when he's awake won't hurt" _she rationalized. "Yes," she gasped out even before she's able to think.

Jackson didn't need to be told twice; he bridged the gap between them and pressed his lips to hers. He closed his eyes as he lets his heart take over his head, hoping that his feelings will be able to seep through their kiss.

April pulled her hand away from Jackson's grasp and clumsily stood up from her perch, their lips still fused together.

Jackson automatically moved his hands on April's hips; guiding her towards him.

April didn't think twice; she climbed up his lap and straddled him. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she continued returning his kisses hungrily.

Jackson moaned, he then nipped at her lips a couple of times before pulling away; he wrapped his arm around April's waist securely before resting his forehead on hers. "You're killing me you know that, right?" he closed his eyes and breathed out.

April let out a giggle as she opens her eyes; "We still have it _Jackman_-I can still feel the same spark I felt the first time I kissed you in San Francisco" she whispered.

Jackson hummed happily; he then opened his eyes and rubbed their noses together. "Yeah...I feel it too" he said. He then leaned forward and planted another kiss on April's lips; "I want to kiss you _all_ _the time_, is that normal?"

April leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on Jackson's lips; "I think it's normal, I feel it too" she replied with a small smile.

Jackson pulled his face away from April and smiled sheepishly; "Will it ruin the mood if I suggest we move to the couch? I love having you in my lap but this chair is digging into my ass and I don't want to have a sore ass"

April blinked a couple times before bursting into fits of giggles.

Jackson planted a kiss on April's forehead before shifting his hands on April's thighs; he anchored it tightly around his waist before hauling them off the chair.

April automatically wrapped her legs around Jackson's hips; "Put me down _Jackman, _I can walk you know!" she squeaked.

Jackson ignored April's protest; "Wrap your arms around my neck, I don't want you falling down"

April followed Jackson's instruction; "This is silly you know?"

Jackson braised his left arm around April's back before grabbing their drinks on his right arm; "Just indulge me this once, I like carrying you like this-and no, I'm not being creepy nor perverted, I just want you close" he said defensively.

April can't help but giggle at his statement; "I'm not complaining"

Jackson grinned as he walks towards the sliding doors; he stepped inside and made his way towards the couch. He placed the bottles on top of the coffee table and gently lowered himself on the couch; "Much more comfortable" he said happily.

April untangled her arms from Jackson's neck and braised it on the couch behind him, caging him in; "Jackson?"

Jackson met April's eyes; "April?"

April licked her lips; "You talk too much, can you just kiss me already?"

Jackson smirked; "Your wish is my command princess" he said huskily. He then lifted his hands and cupped April's cheeks; he pulled her face towards his and captured her lips for a mind numbing kiss again.

* * *

_**A/N: Sorry for the late update guys but I hope this makes up for the long wait. ^-^ I had fun writing this chapter so I hope you have fun reading it too ^-^ Next one will up some time next week-if everything goes according to plan. Next chappy is entitled "Everything has changed"-I'll give my own take on the GALA and add some more JAPRIL moments, sounds good? ^-^ **_

_**Again, tell me what you think about this chapter? I love hearing from you guys, your reviews always makes my day and it inspires me to write faster. Till next week, cheers! ^-^**_


	13. Everything has changed

**Chapter Thirteen: Everything has changed**

"_**All I knew this morning when I woke is I know something now, know something now I didn't before. And all I've seen since eighteen hours ago is green eyes and freckles and your smile, in the back of my mind making me feel like. I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now..."**_

* * *

Change is inevitable, the only constant thing in this world; it works both ways though; it can be for the best or for the worst. For April, it has been for the best-Jackson changed her in more than ways she could imagine and she's thankful for that. He helped her realize things about herself that she didn't know existed; yes, she may have bent her beliefs _a bit_ in the process but in this rare case, the end was able to justify the means and she's happy and contented about it. Jackson on the other hand is going through the same process of realization; he never thought he's the type of man that will be able to express his feelings easily but it seems like he doesn't know himself as much as he believes he does. Now, he can't seem to stop himself from blurting it out every time the feeling strikes and it feels very liberating for the Plastic Surgeon. The odds seem to be in the couple's favour because they _finally _reached the same page, the next question is, will _that_ change too? Change is _unavoidable_ after all.

April switched off the faucet and grabbed her towel; she gently patted her face dry and stared at her reflection on the mirror. She bit her bottom lip while in thought; "It's strange, Jackson should be up by now" she murmured to herself. She then hanged her towel on the rack before stepping out of the bathroom; she made her way towards her door and walked out of her room. She closed the door behind her and started looking around the place; she furrowed her brows when she didn't hear any activity inside the flat so she decided to check Jackson's room to see if he already left. She padded towards his room and quietly pushed the door open; she was surprised to see that he's still tucked in his bed, clearly sleeping. She tip toed towards him and stopped by his bed side; she leaned forward and gently nudged his arm. "Jackson, wake up, you're gonna be late for work"

Jackson burrowed under the covers and rubbed his cheek on his pillow; "I don't have work" he murmured.

April giggled as she sat herself at his bedside; "It's Tuesday, you have work."

"No, I have the whole week off"

April stared at Jackson confusedly; "The whole week off, why?"

Jackson rubbed the sleep off his eyes and turned towards April; "My mom insisted that I take the week off when she found out that you're staying with me, she wants me to stay with you and to take a short vacation too" he replied with a smile. "Why are you up? What time is it?"

"I see-that's very nice of her. Well, I've always been an early riser and its only quarter passed 6" April replied. She then stood up from her perch and smiled; "Well since you don't have work, why don't sleep in a bit, I'll make us some breakfast."

Jackson automatically sprung up his bed; he threw the covers off his body and scooted towards the edge. "I'm up and you're not cooking breakfast, you're supposed to be resting woman."

April sucked in air upon seeing Jackson's _familiar _naked torso; her eyes trailing from his well toned pecs down to his washboard abs.

Jackson noticed the change in the red head's eyes; "Like what you see?" he asked with a smirk.

April cleared her throat, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment; "Err—put some shirt on," she mumbled.

Jackson feigned a yawn as he stretches his arms upwards, showcasing his taut stomach and arms.

April narrowed her eyes; "Stop it"

Jackson let his arms fall to his side, a smile visible on his lips; "Stop what?" he asked innocently.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing Avery" April said. She then gave him a once over before turning on her heels and walking towards the open door; "Besides, it's nothing I haven't seen nor touched before."

Jackson blinked a couple of times before letting out a full belly laugh.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Meredith pushed the door open to the Attending's Lounge and gently hauled Mark's stroller inside the room; "Good morning" she announced loudly.

Alex lowered the news paper his reading; "What the hell are you doing here?"

Miranda slapped the back of Alex's head; "No cursing, there's a baby inside the room" she chastised.

"That hurts!" Alex complained while rubbing his head.

Meredith chuckled; "Bailey is right, no cursing in my baby's presence" she said while closing the door behind her.

"It's not like your baby will understand it" Alex grumbled.

Miranda rolled her eyes; "What are you doing here Grey? You're supposed to be in Maternity Leave"

Meredith pushed the stroller towards the table and pulled a chair; she sat down slowly before turning towards her friends. "I'm bored to my wits end, I'll go crazy if I stay there longer"

Alex shifted in his chair and turned towards the stroller; he leaned forward and smiled at Meredith's baby. "Hello there!"

"So, you're idea of having fun is going to your work place?" Miranda asked with a raised brow.

Meredith chuckled; "Well, yeah-I don't have any place to go, I don't go to malls and I hate parks"

"Mer is anti social, she doesn't like crowded places-it makes her anxious" Alex said while making faces at Mark.

Meredith leaned forward and slapped Alex's arm; "I'm no longer anti social, I've changed"

Alex ignored Meredith's comment and continued playing with the baby.

"You seem taken by the baby Karev, why don't you and Stevens make one" Miranda said with a smile.

"Bailey is right, when will you grace us with your spawns?" Meredith asked.

Alex guffawed; "I'll only have a baby if Avery knocks Kepner up-in short, not in the near future"

"Speaking of which, are those two back together?" Miranda asked curiously.

Alex and Meredith shared a look before they both turned their gaze towards their former Chief Resident; "You're Bailey" Alex said. "You're supposed to know _everything" _Meredith finished.

Miranda sniffed haughtily; "I know _everything _medical that doesn't include gossips"

The door burst open as Cristina saunters in; she halted her steps when she saw her person sitting beside the table. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I'm bored" Meredith replied with shrug.

"So you went here?" Cristina raised her brow.

Miranda snickered; "See? Even Yang finds it weird"

Meredith rolled her eyes; she then turned on her seat and crossed her legs. "Have you heard anything about the Gala? Is it still on?"

Cristina placed her hands around her waist; "Momma Avery took over planning so it's definitely on"

Meredith furrowed her brows; "What do you mean? I thought Jackson and Owen are planning it?"

Alex sniggered; "Avery is busy playing nurse"

Meredith's eyes widen; "For how long?"

"He took the whole week off" Miranda said dryly.

"Wow" Meredith gasped.

Cristina smirked; "Those two will be boinking again in no time, want to place a bet?"

Alex raised his hand; "I'm in"

"How much are we talking about here?" Meredith asked.

Miranda wrinkled her nose in disgust; "I can't believe you people are actual surgeons" she said while standing up.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was sitting on the couch reading when she heard a familiar ringtone being played loudly; she closed the book shut and stood up from her perch. She followed the music and stopped when she saw the source of it; she stepped closer to the breakfast bar and saw Catherine's name flashing though the screen of Jackson's phone. "Jackson, your mom is calling!"

"I'm taking a shower, can you answer it?" Jackson yelled.

"Okay" April replied loudly. She then plucked the device from the counter and tapped on the answer button; "Hello"

"April, is that you?"

"Yes it's me-err, Jackson is taking a shower so he can't come to the phone right now, is everything okay?"

"You naughty kids! You're not supposed to have sex yet!" Catherine said with stern yet excited voice.

April felt her face turn red; "We're not-it's not what you think-he's just taking a shower and I'm reading and he asked me to answer his phone that he left on top of the counter"

Catherine laughed loudly; "Calm down honey, I'm just messing with you"

April fanned her burning face with her other hand; "Err-okay..."

"Is my mother harassing you again?"

April turned around and saw Jackson standing a couple of steps away from her; his body still glistening with drops of water and his towel hanging dangerously low on his hips. She swallowed hard as she grips his phone tightly; _"Damn it! Why does he keep on flaunting his body-it's—it's ridiculous!" _she thought.

"Are you alright?" Jackson asked, his brows furrowed with concern.

April licked her lips and cleared her throat; "Jackson is already here-let me hand him the phone"

"Okay baby, thank you!"

"You're welcome" April replied. She then pulled the phone away from her ear and extended her hand towards Jackson; "Err-here you go."

Jackson walked towards April and accepted his phone; "Are you alright?"

April couldn't help it; she felt her eyes drop to his chest as her breath hitch inside her throat. She felt a familiar tugging inside her lower belly as her gaze stopped on the knot of his towel.

"Keep looking at me like that and I can't promise to keep my hands to myself" Jackson whispered huskily.

April lifted her eyes and met Jackson's gaze; she felt a pleasant shiver run through her body when she saw the look in his eyes.

"JACKSON? APRIL?"

April shook her head to clear her lust filled thoughts; "Your mom is still on the line" she said sheepishly.

Jackson cleared his throat; "Oh yeah..." he replied. He then shifted the phone to his ear; "Mom?"

April threw Jackson one more look before turning on her heels; she bit her bottom lip hard as she walks back to the living room. "Keep it in your pants Kepner, you can do this-you've fasted before, stop thinking about it" she murmured to herself. "_Oh god, help me resist this temptation...please?" _she thought.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Catherine scooted towards the door and pushed it open; she climbed out of her beau's car and straightened the creases on her dress. "I'll be checking on the venue later so I don't think I'll be able to do lunch"

Richard closed the door shut and locked it; "Will Hunt be joining you?"

Catherine adjusted the hand bag on her arm; "No, my son will."

Richard threw Catherine a confused look as he rounded his car; "I thought he's taking the week off?"

"He still is, I just asked him a little favour and he obliged" Catherine replied as she falls into step with Richard.

"You just want to grill him for details"

Catherine smirked; "That too"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson placed a glass of orange juice right in front of April; "My mom asked me to go to the hospital for lunch, she needs me to accompany her to the venue-for the gala."

"Thank you" April said. She then cocked her head to the side and stared at Jackson confusedly; "Gala?"

Jackson threw April a sheepish look; "I forgot, you didn't know" he replied. "Well, we are holding a gala next Saturday, we need to raise funds that will help us with the storm repairs and of course added budget for different departments."

"Oh, I see" April replied before taking a sip of her drink.

Jackson cleared his throat as he shifted in his feet; "About that...will you be my date?"

April felt the juice go down the wrong pipe, sending her to a coughing fit.

Jackson tore a piece of paper towel from the coil and handed it to the red head; "Here" he offered.

April accepted it and began wiping her lips; after a moment she shifted her gaze back to Jackson. "Sorry about that."

Jackson scratched the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his; "I guess I shouldn't have sprung that question on you out of nowhere, sorry"

April chuckled; "We're acting like teenagers again" she said.

Jackson smiled; "Yeah we are"

"Going back to the gala, are-are you sure you want to go with me?" April asked, insecurity seeping through her voice. "There will be a lot of people there, are you sure you want to be seen with me? And what about-"

"Stop right there" Jackson interjected. He then rounded the counter and stopped at the red head's side; he slowly swivelled the high chair towards him and stared at April's eyes directly; "Let me get one thing straight with you, I'm asking you to be my date because there's no one else I'd rather spend it with than you. I _want _you with me and I'll be the luckiest not to mention the happiest man that night if you'll be by my side."

April felt her heart melt with Jackson's words; "How can a girl say no to _that_?"

"Is that a yes?" Jackson asked excitedly

"It's definitely not a _no_"

"Are you being cheeky with me Kepner?"

April smirked as she turned her chair to its original position; "It depends on your definition of _cheeky" _she said playfully.

Jackson thought for a moment before smirking at the red head; "I see, too bad, I was planning on taking you with me today-you know, so you can hang out at the hospital while I sort things out with my mom but since you're being Ms. Smartpants today, I think I'll just leave you here"

April pushed away from the counter and hastily hopped out of her chair; "I'm not being cheeky and yes I'll be your date for the gala, it's a definite_ yes_."

Jackson crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Well I don't know..."

April stared at Jackson; _"He's playing dirty eh? Let's see how far you can go" _she thought. She took a step closer to him and bit her bottom lip; she met his gaze and began drawing circles on his chest. "That's _too bad _because I was thinking off of giving you a _proper _thank you, you know-but since I'm being Ms. Smartpants then I guess I have no choice but to stay here then..."

Jackson can't help but smirk at April's tricks; _"Using seduction to have your way again, huh? Two can play at this game" _he thought smugly. He shifted closer to the red head and snaked his arms around her tiny waist; he gently pulled her into his chest and let his eyes do the work for him. "Yeah? What do you have in mind then?" he asked huskily.

"_Damn! He's using his Avery Sparkle on me, freaking unfair. Time to take this game up a notch" _April thought. She purposely trailed her hands along his pecs towards his neck; she then wrapped her arms around it and licked her lips seductively. "Well, since you already made your decision, I guess you'll never know..."

Jackson felt goose bumps ran through his whole body as his head started to fog with lustful thoughts; he felt another part of his appendage react to April's proximity and it's slowly driving him crazy. "Really?" he asked shakily.

April moved her face closer to his before smirking; "Yep" she said before pulling her hands away and stepping out of his grasp. _"Ha! Easy peasy!" _she thought. She then grabbed her glass of juice and emptied it in one go; she placed it back on the counter before starting to walk away. "I'll just go to my room then, see you later" she said.

"_Tease!" _Jackson thought as he swallowed thickly.

April grinned as she slowly walks away; _"1...2-"_

"Wait!"

"_Boom!" _April thought triumphantly. She arranged her face to look nonchalant before turning around; "Yep?"

"Go get changed, we'll leave in 15 minutes" Jackson said.

"Okay" April replied. She then turned on her heels and made her way towards her room; "Round 1 goes to you Kepner" she murmured to herself with a grin.

Jackson watched April walk away before shaking his head; "You are whipped Jackson Avery" he whispered with a smile.

* * *

"_**'Cause all I know is we said, "Hello." and your eyes look like coming home. All I know is a simple name, everything has changed. All I know is you held the door, you'll be mine and I'll be yours. All I know since yesterday is everything has changed..."**_

* * *

"Run this lab for Mr. Field and get Ms. Anderson's XRAY while you're at it" Lexie instructed.

"Right away Dr. Sloan" Heather replied.

Lexie wrinkled her nose; "It's Dr. Grey, not Sloan, we're not yet married"

Heather shifted in her feet; "Err-Dr. Sloan told us to start calling you-err, Dr. Sloan..." she explained.

Lexie narrowed her eyes; "He did eh? Well, let me correct his tiny _mistake _I'm Dr. Grey, don't ever call me Dr. Sloan-not after we're married and it's doctor Dr. Grey-Sloan to be precise, _capiche?_"

"Err-yes, Dr. Grey"

"Good, now scoot" Lexie said.

Heather quickly turned on her heels and scampered away.

Lexie shook her head; she then turned towards her tab and began updating her patient's files.

"Good morning Dr. Sloan"

Lexie tore her eyes away from her tab when she heard her best friend's familiar voice; she quickly turned around and let out an excited squeal upon seeing April standing right behind her. "You're here!"

"I am" April smiled brightly. "I hope you're not destroying my E.R and terrorizing the interns too much"

Lexie laughed before bouncing towards the red head and engulfing her into a hug; "I didn't know you were coming and no I'm not destroying your E.R."

April hugged her best friend back; "That's nice to hear"

Lexie pulled away and began studying April's appearance; "You look good, Jackson's taking good care of you?" she asked with large smile.

"He is, he's been very good to me" April beamed.

"I can see that..." Lexie said meaningfully.

April felt her cheeks flush; "Lexie!" she shrieked.

"Well I'll be damned, who would've thought I'd miss hearing that annoying shriek of yours?"

April turned around and saw Alex leaning casually on the counter; "I never thought I'd miss your pompous ass too, does that make you feel better?"

Alex laughed; he then pulled away from his perch and walked towards April; "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be chained inside Pretty boy's lair as he plays nurse?"

April giggled; "_Lair_? What have you been up to lately?"

"He's being a love sick fool, that's what he's been up to" Lexie teased.

"As if you're any better" Alex quipped.

April smiled; "Awwww...how's Izzie?"

Alex stuffed his hands inside his lab coat pockets; "She's alright, busy with work" he replied. "You haven't answered my question yet, you know"

"Oh about that, Jackson decided to bring me along with him, he's doing some board stuff-for the gala" April replied.

"Speaking of which, you'll be attending right? You're well enough to go?" Lexie asked.

Alex smirked; "That's a rhetorical question Lex, of course she'll go, pretty boy will be there" he said. He then peered behind the other surgeon's back, clearly surveying their surroundings; "I'm actually amazed he let Apes out of his sight."

April rolled her eyes; "He's in Admin with his mom and of course he'll let me out of his sight, he's not my keeper"

Lexie guffawed; "He's your puppy"

April slapped Lexie's arm; "Stop calling him a puppy, that's not nice"

"April?"

April turned her head to the side and saw Meredith walking towards them; "What on earth are you doing here? You're supposed to be resting at home"

Meredith stopped right in front of the red head and pulled her into a hug; "I should be asking you the same question" she said with a chuckle.

April pulled away and smiled; "I got bored, so here I am"

"I got bored too" Meredith replied with a smile.

"You losers should get a life, your idea of passing boredom is sad" Alex said.

"Says the man who lived in his trailer at the hospital's parking lot" Meredith quipped.

Lexie and April laughed at Meredith's statement.

Alex puffed his chest out arrogantly; "I'm dedicated, you people are lucky to have me work in your hospital"

Meredith threw Alex an affectionate smile; "That we are"

Alex grinned.

Meredith turned her gaze towards April; "Where's Jackson? I assume he came here with you"

"He's with his mother, doing board stuff, I believe they're checking out the venue for the gala" April replied.

Meredith studied April's form; "You're going right? You're well enough to go?"

Alex wrinkled his nose; "Little Grey asked the same exact question, are your brains connected or something?"

"Grey genes" Lexie piped in.

April chuckled; "Yep I'm going, no choice"

Meredith smirked; "Are you going as a doctor who needs to charm Richie Rich for funds or are you going as Jackson's date?"

April stared at Meredith with a baffled look on her face; "Huh?"

Alex sniggered; "No brainer question Mer, as if Avery will let anybody near her" he said.

Lexie smiled; "True"

April shifted her eyes between her friends; "What do you exactly mean?"

"It means you have to kiss some asses and flirt a bit to get a hefty check inside the cash box" Alex explained.

April looked thoughtful; "I see"

"And oh, Momma Avery decided to set up a little game, the department who's able to raise the highest amount will get a 20% cut from it" Meredith said.

"We'll get that new toy after all" Lexie said thoughtfully.

Meredith glared at her sister; "Who told you Neuro will get that cut?"

Lexie grinned; "Simple, _dreamy _eyes."

"Peds will get it, nobody can say no to tiny humans" Alex said.

"Dream on Evil Spawn, that budget is going to General" Meredith said. She then stood straighter and threw in her signature smile; "Nobody can say no Ellis Grey's daughter"

"Well I don't know about that-saving people on the field and having a mentor who's been in the army _serving his country _has its own appeal_." _April drawled.

"Not fair!" Lexie complained.

"Whatever, nobody can refuse tiny humans" Alex said.

Meredith threw April an amused look; "I guess you'll be working that night after all" she said.

"You bet, we need funds in our department too, you know" April chirped.

Alex rolled his eyes; "Your boyfriend pretty much owns this plays, just kiss him and ask him to buy your department new stuff"

April smirked at Alex; "I can do that but seeing you kiss people's asses without trying to sleep with them is a rare phenomenon, I think that's more fun"

"Oh I'm liking you more and more April" Meredith said.

Alex scoffed; "Whatever" he said before turning on his heels. "I'll see you around, I still have to check on my patients"

"We should change your name to Sour Puss!" Meredith teased.

"That's Cristina's name!" Alex replied.

April and Lexie both laughed.

"Have you guys bought a dress yet?"

"Yep, Mark and I went to the mall yesterday" Lexie replied.

Meredith shifted her gaze to the red head; "April?"

April cringed; "Nope, I just found out about the gala this morning"

Meredith fell into step with April and looped her arm around the red head's; "Perfect, me too. Why don't we hit the mall today and find a gala worthy dress?"

April thought for a moment; "That's actually brilliant" she said with a smile.

"I'm always brilliant" Meredith replied cheekily.

Lexie took a peek on her tab to check the time; "If you're planning on avoiding the crowd I suggest you go now" she said.

"Wait, what about your baby?" April said while eyeing Meredith.

"Derek has him, he's a _baby hogger" _Meredith replied. She then pulled her phone away from her back pocket; "I'll call him to let him know that we're leaving for a bit."

"Okay" April replied.

Lexie eyed April; "Aren't you calling Jackson to let him know that you're leaving too? You don't want him launching a search party for you" she teased.

April felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment; "Err-you're right" she said. She then turned towards Meredith and pointed towards the pit's exit; "I'll wait for you there, I'll call Jackson to let him know we're leaving too" she said.

Meredith nodded.

"See you later Lex!" April said with a wave. She then made her way towards the door and slipped outside; she walked towards the bench and sat down. She thumb through her contacts and tapped on Jackson's number; she placed her phone to her ear and waited for the call to connect.

"Hey, everything okay?"

"Yep, I'm just calling to let you know that Mer and I will be hitting the mall for a couple of hours" April replied.

"Mall?"

"Yep"

"Okay. You guys are catching a cab right?"

"I actually have no idea, obviously I can't drive because I don't have my car here."

Jackson chuckled; "You still can't drive even if you have your car there"

April rolled her eyes; "Don't remind me"

"What are you buying anyway?" Jackson asked curiously.

"A dress for the gala" April replied.

"I'm sure you'll be very beautiful in whatever dress you choose"

April smiled; "Sweet talking me again Avery, it's too early for that" she teased.

"Nope, I'm just stating a fact"

"Ooookaaay..." April said. "Do you want me to get you anything?"

"Nope I'm good."

"Okay, well I have to go, Mer is already here"

"Alright, you guys take care. Call me if you need anything and I'll see you later"

"Bye _Jackman_" April said.

"Bye babe, enjoy!"

April bit her bottom lip to keep herself from grinning; she pulled her phone away and stood up from her perch. "Ready?"

Meredith noticed the look on April's face; "You seem happy"

"I am."

Meredith smiled back; "I'm glad you are, I say it's about damn time."

April smiled shyly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was just slipping his phone back to his pocket when he saw his mother walking towards his direction; "You done here?" he asked.

Catherine stopped right in front of her son and smiled; "Yes. I already book the grand ballroom, it's yours next Saturday"

Jackson smiled; "You're a miracle worker Mom"

"Stop sucking up to me"

Jackson rolled his eyes; "I throw a complement and I end up being accused of either sweet talking or sucking up, what's wrong with you people."

Catherine chuckled; "You want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because you seldom give complements baby" Catherine said.

Jackson wrinkled his nose; "Really?"

Catherine nodded; "Really. Now, why don't you be a good boy and take your mother to lunch"

"Where do you want to eat?"

"Here is fine" Catherine replied.

"Let's go then" Jackson said while offering his arm, like the gentleman she raised her to be.

Catherine threw her son an approving look; "Lead the way"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You should definitely get that, you look hot in that dress" April said.

Meredith studied her reflection; "Really? It's not slutty?"

"No, it's tastefully sexy-it's classy."

Meredith turned towards April and smiled; "Okay then" she replied. "Found anything you like?"

April pursed her lips as she peruses the dresses around them; "Sometimes I hate being a red head, it's hard finding a dress that will go with my hair" she groaned.

Meredith walked towards the rack and perused the dresses right in front of them; she riffled through it and pulled out a printed pink halter ensemble. "Try this on, this will look good with your hair and skin tone"

April eyed the dress; "Isn't it too-_shabby_?"

"I think that dress will look perfect on you, try it on"

April accepted the dress and made her way towards the fitting room; "Okay"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"How's April?" Catherine asked.

"She's doing good, she's recovering well" Jackson replied.

Catherine plucked her wine glass from the table, eyeing her son curiously; "Any new _developments _I should know about?" she asked before taking a sip.

"Nope" Jackson replied.

"So you're still not together?"

Jackson shifted his eyes towards his mother; "Personal life is off limits mom"

Catherine pouted; "Fine. I'll ask April then" she said.

"Stop harassing April, her personal life is off limits too"

Catherine smirked; "Does that mean that she's part of your personal life that's why she's off limits too?"

Jackson rolled his eyes; "I'm not justifying that question with an answer."

"You're no fun!" Catherine huffed. "Speaking of April, where is she? Did you leave her alone in your apartment?"

Jackson shifted his attention back to his food; "She's with Meredith, they're at the mall" he replied.

"Is she well enough to go shopping?" Catherine asked with concern.

"Yeah and besides they're just picking up dresses for the gala, they won't take long" Jackson replied before taking a bite of his steak.

Catherine smiled; "I take it that you'll be escorting her?"

Jackson swallowed his food before responding; "I am."

"You two will look wonderful together!" Catherine gushed.

Jackson can't help but smile at his mother's comment.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Hold on for a minute" April said as she halted her steps.

Meredith paused and turned her head towards the red head; "What?" she asked while following Aprils' gaze.

April pointed towards _Krispy Kreme; _"Can we do a quick stop over there?"

"You're buying doughnuts?"

"Yep"

Meredith raised brow; "But you don't like those stuff"

April smiled; "It's not for me"

Meredith blinked a couple of times before realization dawned on her; "Jackson likes doughnuts"

"Yep" April said before skipping towards the establishment.

Meredith shook her head; "You're acting like an old married couple, it's cute" she teased.

April let the comment pass; "Our people likes doughnuts, right?"

"Yep, why?" Meredith asked as she follows her friend closely.

"Good, I'm buying them a box" April replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson was just climbing out of his car when he saw Meredith's SUV pulling over her designated parking space; he closed his door shut and locked it behind it.

April climbed out of the SUV and closed the door behind her; she then moved towards the back passenger seat and pulled the door open. She leaned forward and began collecting the things she bought; "I hope they're hungry, I'm not taking this home" she said.

Meredith threw April a teasing smile; "You just referred to Jackson's apartment as _home?"_

April lifted her gaze and met Meredith's; she felt her cheeks flush so she shifted her gaze eyes back to the boxes. "I guess I did..." she admitted shyly.

"Why don't you guys move in together permanently, it's obvious that you're head over heels with each other."

April plucked the paper bag and grabbed the boxes of sweets; "We're taking things slow and moving in together is not considered slow" she explained.

"You've been dancing around each other for years, nothing is _slower _than that"

"Do they give out free boxes of doughnuts when you buy a dress?" Jackson asked.

"Crap!" April hissed when she hit the back of her head, clearly startled upon hearing Jackson's voice.

Jackson rushed towards April's side; "Are you okay?" he asked as he began fawning over the red head.

"Oh my" Meredith said between laughs.

April stood straight as she glares at the blonde surgeon; "I'm glad you find my misfortune funny" she said. She then turned around and scowled at Jackson; "Stop sneaking around people's back, it's rude" she snapped.

Jackson raised both of his hands in surrender; "I did not sneak up on you, I thought you already saw me walking towards you" he replied. "I'm sorry"

"Hold out your hands" April said.

Jackson complied wordlessly.

April placed the boxes of doughnuts in his hands; "There you go"

"Are these all mine?" Jackson asked while eyeing the box curiously.

April closed the door shut; "Of course not, you only get a piece"

Jackson pouted; "Just a piece?"

April turned towards Jackson; "It's better than nothing, right?"

Meredith watched the bickering couple with amusement; "If it makes you feel better, she nagged the ears off of the doughnut guy when she found out that favourite flavour is out of stock"

"Meredith!" April hissed in mortification.

Jackson felt a tug on his heart strings, so without thinking he leaned forward and planted a kiss on April's head; 'Thanks babe" he whispered.

April turned her face towards Jackson and smiled; "You're welcome"

"Gaaaaahhhhh!" Meredith complained as she spun on her heels.

Jackson stared at Meredith's back, confusion written all over his face; "What's wrong with her?"

"Don't mind her" April replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Where the hell is my boy? I already saw Momma Avery, don't tell me he already went home?" Mark asked.

Derek adjusted the sleeping boy in his arms; "I doubt that, April is shopping with my wife, I'm sure he'll wait for her"

"Kepner is also here?"

"Yeah, you didn't know?" Derek asked.

Mark placed his hands on his hips; "How come they didn't tell me?"

Derek shifted his eyes towards his best friend and smirked; "I'm quite sure they didn't mean to hurt your feelings" he teased.

"I'm no longer important" Mark said with a pout.

Derek shook his head in amusement; he then turned his eyes towards the door when heard it creak open. "Wipe that silly pout out of your face, your other half with his lady love is here"

Mark quickly spun around and saw Meredith entered the room, with April and Jackson in tow; "You guys are finally here! I've been waiting for you!" he said jovially.

"I heard, I just saw Karev and I heard an earful from him" Jackson said dryly.

April slapped Jackson's arm in chastisement; she turned towards Mark and smiled brightly. "It's nice to see you again Dr. Sloan."

Mark smiled fondly at the red head; "Looking good Kepner, it seems like my boy is taking _good _care of you."

Meredith chuckled; "He's so whipped" she murmured as she walks towards her husband and baby. "Hey there baby boy, Mommy misses you so much" she cooed while sitting down.

Derek gently lifted his son off his shoulder and placed him on Meredith's waiting arms; "I just fed and burped him, he just fell asleep" he said.

Meredith cuddled the baby closer to her chest and planted a chaste kiss on the infant's head; "Where's Zola?"

"She's having a princess tea party with Sophia" Mark replied.

Jackson placed the boxes of doughnut on top of the table; "April brought us doughnuts" he announced.

Derek turned his gaze towards April; "What's the occasion?"

April smiled shyly; "Err-it's a little thank you for saving my life"

"Awwwww..." Mark said. He then walked towards the petite red head and wrapped his arms around her shoulders; "Aren't you the sweetest?"

Jackson shook his head at his mentor's antics; he turned towards the box and flipped it open.

Derek walked towards the table and fell into step with the Plastic Surgeon; he whistled upon seeing the variety of doughnuts inside the box. "I don't know what to pick"

Jackson plucked his New York Cheesecake doughnut; "Maple glazed, you can never go wrong with that one."

Derek grabbed his doughnut and took a huge bite; "Good choice" he said after swallowing. "Thanks for the doughnut April, it's very thoughtful of you"

April smiled at the Neuro Surgeon; "You're welcome" she replied bashfully. She then turned her gaze towards Mark; "Aren't you eating? I thought you like doughnuts?"

Mark squeezed April's shoulder gently before pulling away; "I love them" he said before walking towards the table. He then paused midway and turned his face towards April; "You're still _banned _from ride alongs and _strenuous activities _Kepner, doughnut or whatnot" he said with a wink.

"What the hell Mark!" Jackson hissed.

April's face turned bright red in mortification.

Derek and Meredith shared a look before bursting out in laughter.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I'll come visit you on Thursday, it's my time off" Lexie said as she pulls April into a hug.

"That'll be great" April replied.

"Ready to go home?" Jackson asked as he rounded his car.

April stared into Jackson's eyes before letting out a smile; "Yeah, I am."

* * *

"_**And all my walls stood tall painted blue and I'll take them down, take them down and open up the door for you. And all I feel in my stomach is butterflies, the beautiful kind, making up for lost time,**_ _**taking flight, making me feel right. I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now..."**_

* * *

The rest of the week seems to pass by in a blur and it's time for April to finally return to her apartment, much to Jackson's chagrin. He didn't want her to leave but he cannot voice that sentiment because he knows that she won't have any of it. Now, he finds himself leaning on her room's doorframe, watching her pack the last of her things. "Do you need any help?" he asked half-heartedly.

April zipped her duffel bag before turning towards Jackson; "Nope, all set"

Jackson crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Are you sure you can manage on your own?"

April rolled her eyes; "I'm gonna be fine Jackson don't worry, besides, I'll be back to work on Monday"

Jackson sighed; "I still can't believe you were able to convince me and the rest of the board-you should be resting."

April walked towards Jackson and stood right in front of him; "Are you upset because I'm going back to work on Monday or are you upset because I'm going back to my apartment?"

Jackson averted his gaze, a tell tale sign that he's upset with both.

April smiled; "You're adorable"

Jackson pursed his lips as he shifted his eyes back to April; "I'm not a puppy April, don't call me _adorable" _he said sulkily.

April can't help but chuckle at the irony of his statement; _"If you only knew what Lexie calls you, you'll go full crazy on her" _she thought.

Jackson pulled away from his perch; "Whatever" he said before making a move to leave.

April rolled her eyes; she then leaned forward and grasped his hand even before he got the chance to turn away. "Don't be like that"

Jackson refused to meet her gaze and kept quiet, clearly basking in his morose mood.

April stepped right in front of his brooding form and wrapped her arms around his waist; she leaned the side of her face into his chest and closed her eyes. "I'll miss spending time with you too, you know..."

Jackson sighed; he wrapped his arms around April and rested his chin on top of her head. "I really don't want you to leave-this place won't be the same without you..." he admitted.

April pulled away from his chest and tilted her face to meet his eyes; "I only stayed here for a week _Jackman, _I'm quite sure this place is still the same"

Jackson shook his head; "It won't be the same, it won't have you"

April let out a small smile; "You'll get used to it"

Jackson stared deeply into April's eyes; "I want to ask you something but you have to promise me you won't freak out, can you do that?"

"Yep, shoot."

Jackson braised himself for what he's about to ask-rather suggest. "I know were not _yet _together and don't think that I'm rushing that's why I'm bringing this up and I totally respect your decision and I promise to wait till your ready and I've proven myself-"

"You're rambling" April said with a chuckle. She then pulled her arms away from his waist and placed her hands on top of his chest, rubbing it soothingly. "Just ask what you want to ask"

Jackson took a deep breath; "Move in with me-_permanently_" he blurted out.

April's hand stilled as her eyes widen in shock.

Jackson tightened his hold on April's waist; "I know what you're thinking and it's not like _that _okay-what I'm suggesting is like what we use to have in Mer's frat house and our apartment with Alex. You will have your own room and I'll have mine-we'll just be sharing the same living space. You can still pay rent if you want to and I also have a washer-dryer-I have hardwood floors and no _sex, _that is not the reason why I'm asking you to move in-I-I want to come home to you everyday-I just want you close...that's all" he explained nervously.

April blinked a couple of times before bursting into fits of giggles.

Jackson stared at the giggling red head confusedly; _"I think I just broke her" _he thought.

April bowed her head as her shoulders continue to shake with mirth; she laughed for a whole minute before she was able to stifle it. She shook her head to clear her thoughts before meeting Jackson's gaze again; "I'm sorry...I couldn't help it"

"Err-what's funny?"

April smiled playfully; "Of all the things you can say to convince me move in with you, you just had to point out the washer-dryer and hardwood floors" she chuckled.

Jackson thought about his words and grimaced; "I should've just told you I love you and I want you with me all the time"

April raised her brow in amusement; "You think?"

"I love you and I want you with me all the time, please move in with me-_permanently?_" Jackson asked sheepishly.

The humour on April's face instantly vanished, it was replaced by uncertainty and dare he say-_fear. _"I meant what I said April, I don't expect sex and I promise not put on moves...I just want to spend more time with you, to get to know you much better because I feel like there's still so much more we don't know about each other and I want to rectify that..." he said sincerely.

April bit her bottom lip, clearly contemplating; "Can I think about it?"

Jackson smiled; "Of course you can-that's all I'm asking, for you to consider it. There's no need to rush-I'm willing to wait, I'm in for the long haul, remember?"

April smiled; "Really?"

Jackson nodded; "Really."

April snaked her hands around Jackson's neck and hugged him tightly; "You're perfect" she murmured.

"I'm not perfect babe, we are-we're perfect _together"_

April giggled as she pulls away; "Stop using cheesy pick up lines on me, it's disconcerting."

Jackson laughed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was able to move back into her apartment with no hitch; Jackson stayed with her for an hour and helped her organize the place. He was supposed to stay longer but he was forced to leave when he received a page; the Plastic Surgeon insisted that he'll just ignore it and pretended that he left his pager at his own apartment but she won't have it. She reminded him that he's a doctor first before practically shoving him out of her flat; earning her a pout and a promise that he'll drop by after everything is sorted out. She was currently hefting out her laundry from her dryer when she heard her phone ringing; she hastily walked towards her kitchen and snatched it from the table; she tapped on the screen and shifted the device to her ear. "Hey Lex"

"Why didn't you come with Jackson? I was expecting to see you today"

April pulled a chair and sat down; "I can't, I have to do laundry"

"You're not supposed to do strenuous activities yet, why didn't you send it out?"

April chuckled; "Shoving clothes with detergent and water inside a washer is not strenuous Lexie and besides, I have a perfectly working machine, why waste money on something I can take care of myself?"

"You're just being stingy..._again!"_

April rolled her eyes; "Whatever you say Lex"

Lexie chuckled; "Sooooo...how have you been?"

"You just saw me last Thursday" April said with a giggle.

"You know what I'm talking about, don't be coy with me now"

"I don't know what you're talking about" April replied evasively.

Lexie groaned loudly; "Jackson-I'm talking about you and Jackson! How's it going on between you guys?"

"We're doing good..."

"Oh don't give me that crap! Are you guys together?"

April can't help but smile at her best friend's bluntness; "No, we're not together"

"_Yet _right? You're not together _yet."_

"Did Mark set you up for this? Did he want to confirm what he already asked Jackson?" April drawled.

"Of course not! How can you think that?"

"Just checking"

"Are you planning on making Pretty Boy grovel longer? I mean it's been weeks since he confessed his undying love for you and he's been acting like a lovesick puppy nipping at your heels, it's cute but it's kinda pathetic too."

"Stop calling him a puppy for heaven's sake!" April snapped. She then leaned back on her chair and let out a frustrated sigh; "I really don't know how much longer I can resist him, he's-he's making it too damn difficult!"

Lexie giggled; "Why?"

"I've known the man for 6 years but it feels like I'm meeting him for the first time. He keeps on surprising me on every turn-before, I'm like 100% sure that he doesn't know the word _romance _because he doesn't look like he has a single romantic bone in his body but now-it's like he created the word!"

"What has been Jackson up to lately?"

April let out a dreamy sigh; "He's-he's just perfect"

Lexie whistled; "Big word Apes, big word" she said with a chuckle.

April groaned loudly; "Don't you see? That's the problem-he's too perfect, I'm-I'm having a _very _hard time-my resolve to make him wait longer is crumbling."

"The answer to that problem is very simple Apes."

"Huh?"

"Be _together _already"

April sighed; "It's not that simple Lex-"

"It is _that _simple" Lexie interjected, cutting the red head off. "He's obviously head over heels for you and you're no better, be _together _already"

April bit her bottom lip, clearly contemplating her best friend's words.

"Jackson loves you, his actions are already enough to justify his words, I think it's time to throw the towel and just give into your feelings. Stop wasting time, you and I both know how precious it is"

April let Lexie's words sink in; after a moment, she sat straighter and nodded her head in agreement. "You're right, absolutely right..."

"I always am" Lexie replied cheekily.

"I'll tell him-I'll tell him after the gala"

"Atta girl!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Would you rather I called Rogers to scrub in with me on this case?" Mark asked while eyeing his prot.

"Of course not, why would you even ask me that?" Jackson asked.

Mark tapped on the faucet and began washing his hands; "I don't know, I just feel like you have a lot of things going on your mind."

Jackson turned his face to his side and met Mark's gaze; "I asked April to move in with me"

Mark's eyes widen in surprise, his mouth agape.

Jackson chuckled at his mentor's reaction before turning his attention back to scrubbing his hands; "She hasn't said _yes _yet but I'm hoping she will."

Mark grinned widely; "I'm sure she will say _yes, _did you butter her up a bit before you asked?"

Jackson shook his head upon remembering his blunder; "I sucked, I used my hardwood floors and washer-dryer as a bargaining chip."

Mark threw Jackson an incredulous look.

Jackson tapped the faucet with his elbow before shaking off the excess water from his hands; "She told me she'll think about it, I'm happy with that" he said with a smile.

Mark copied Jackson's actions and made his way towards the O.R. door; "Hardwood floors and washer-dryer? Really? What happened to the sweet talking and pick up lines I taught you?"

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Let's just get this surgery over with."

* * *

oOo

* * *

April was binging on a tub of ice cream while reading her flashcards when she heard a loud knock; she threw the flashcards on her coffee table and made her way towards her door. She peeped through the hole and smiled brightly upon seeing whose standing on the other side; she unlatched the locks quickly and pulled the door open. "Hey you, you're back already?"

Jackson grinned as he lifts the paper bag his holding; "I brought food" he said. His eyes then fell to her hand and saw what she's holding; "Don't tell me that's your dinner?"

April took a step back as she looked at Jackson sheepishly; "I haven't gotten the chance to go shopping yet" she admitted ruefully.

Jackson shook his head as he closes the door behind him; "You should've called me, I don't mind stopping by a grocery store."

"I can't do that Jackson, you've already done so much for me"

Jackson ignored April's words and made his way towards the kitchen; "What have you been up to?"

April followed him and placed the tub on top of the table; "Nothing much, I just did some laundry and now I'm trying to squeeze in a little studying for my boards."

Jackson reached inside the cupboard and pulled some plates and glasses out; "I almost forgot about that, you'll be taking them next month, right?"

April stood beside Jackson and pulled a drawer open; "Yep" she replied while pulling out cutleries.

Jackson walked towards the table and began setting it; "Do you need help in reviewing? I can definitely help you with that" he paused and turned his face towards April. "Just like the old times" he added as an afterthought.

April smirked; "As long as you don't distract me with your awful pick up lines then I'll take you on that offer"

Jackson laughed; "It's not that awful, those lines made you smile, admit it."

April moved towards the table and arranged the utensils on top of each plate; she then pulled a chair and sat down. "It did,"

Jackson began taking out their food from the paper bag; "I hope Chinese is okay, I have no idea what to get" he said.

April opened the first container and felt her mouth water upon seeing its content; "Lemon chicken!"

"You like?"

April grinned gleefully; "I love this!" she gushed.

Jackson pulled a chair and sat down; "Good, I got us some dumplings and Yangchow fried rice" he said as he pushes the dumplings towards April.

April plucked a dumpling from the container and began nibbling on it; after a moment, she shifted her eyes towards Jackson and stared at him seriously. "Do you think I can do it?"

"Do what?" Jackson asked as he loads his plate with food.

"Pass the boards"

Jackson paused and met April's eyes; "I have no doubt about it" he said. "You'll crush them this year Apes, you can do this."

"You really think so?" April asked.

Jackson smiled; "I know so".

April stared at Jackson for a couple of seconds before nodding; "You're right, I can do this, I'm a soldier" she said firmly.

"I still don't get that" Jackson said.

April giggled; "It's between me and Hunt" she said.

Jackson pointed his fork towards the food; "Eat before it gets cold" he said.

"Don't mind if I do"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Should I be worried that someone else is making you smile like that?"

Lexie turned her head to the side and smiled even wider; "Nah"

Mark fell into step with his fiancé and slung his arm around her shoulders; "Okay" he said while steering her towards the parking lot. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to eat lunch with you, my surgery took longer than I expected."

"It's okay, you did that surgery with Jackson, right?"

Mark nodded; "Yep"

"How is he? Is he still moping?" Lexie asked curiously.

Mark pulled his arm away from Lexie's shoulder and began rummaging his keys from his pockets; "That should be expected, Kepner is still hanging him to dry."

Lexie bit her bottom lip to keep herself from grinning; "I see..."

Mark unlocked his car and turned towards Lexie; he studied her face and narrowed his eyes. "You know something"

Lexie wrinkled her nose; "What makes you say that?"

Mark placed his hands around his hips; "I know you well enough Lexie Grey, so spill" he demanded.

Lexie stared at Mark's face for a moment; "You promise to keep it to yourself?"

Mark grinned; "You have my word."

Lexie surveyed their surroundings before taking a step towards Mark; "I was able to convince April to throw the towel, she's taking Jackson back-for good" she said before smiling.

Mark's eyes widen in awe; "How on heavens name were you able to do that?"

Lexie shoved her hands inside her jean pockets and shrugged her shoulders; "I have my ways and April listens to me-thank god"

Mark pulled Lexie into his arms and hugged her tightly; "You're brilliant and you're all mine" he said jovially.

Lexie giggled.

* * *

oOo

* * *

April has been tossing and turning on her bed for over an hour and she's getting restless; she's been sleeping on the same for bed over a year now and yet she can't seem to find a comfortable spot. She let out a frustrated huff and sat up; she scooted towards her headboard and leaned back. She closed her eyes and let out a defeated sigh; "Maybe warm milk will do the trick" she grumbled. She threw the covers off her body and moved towards the edge; she was about to stand up when she heard her phone beep loudly. She turned towards the side table instead and plucked the device; she shifted the phone closer to her face and almost instantly a smile tugged on her lips.

"_I'm not being clingy or whiney but sleep seems to evade me ever since you left. I know you're probably asleep but I just want to tell you that I miss you already and I wish you were here. Goodnight babe and dream of me, please? ;) - 3 Jackman"_

April quickly tapped on the _reply _button and began composing a response; after she's satisfied with it, she hit on the _send _button and placed her phone back on the side table. She smiled happily and hefted herself up; "Saturday it is" she said with finality.

Jackson automatically sat up from his bed when he heard his phone beep; he leaned towards the side table and snatched his phone eagerly. He tapped on the device and shifted it closer to his face; he read the message and fell back on his pillows with a large contented grin.

"_Wow, you're actually using emoticons, you must miss me a lot ;) I can't sleep too, I guess I'm not used to not having you around anymore, I will definitely add that to my pro & con list. I miss you too and I wish you were here as well. Goodnight and I'll see you in my dreams ;) - 3 BABE"_

* * *

"_**Come back and tell me why. I'm feeling like I've missed you all this time and meet me there tonight. And let me know that it's not all in my mind. All I know is we said, "Hello." so dust off your highest hopes. All I know is pouring rain and everything has changed. All I know is a new found grace, all my days I'll know your face, all I know since yesterday is everything has changed..."**_

* * *

April went back to work the following week and fell back into her old routine, sans surgery. It was a big adjustment on her part because she was not used to being _benched _like what Cristina often calls her predicament but she had no choice on the matter, it's either she continue doing paper works or stay in her apartment like a sitting duck, the choice is pretty much obvious, right? It's now Saturday, the night of the gala-the night she will finally tell Jackson that she's ready to make it official and she can't wait to see the look on his face.

"I thought you'd be here"

April tore her eyes away from her paper works; "Hey Lex"

Lexie pushed the door open and kicked it close; she walked towards the table and pulled a chair. She unceremoniously plopped down and leaned back; "You excited for the night?" she asked with a knowing look.

April snapped the folder close and placed it on her right; "Kinda..."

Lexie grinned widely; "Oh don't pretend, we both know how excited you are."

April shifted her eyes towards her best friend and smiled shyly; "Am I too obvious?"

Lexie giggled; "To me you are, but I don't think Jackson has any idea"

"He doesn't" April replied.

"Are you telling him before or after the gala?" Lexie asked curiously.

April leaned back on her chair; "After? I don't want to tell him before it starts, I don't want to throw him off his game, this is an important event after all."

"Good idea"

"Are all the Attending's going?"

"Yep, Hunt pretty much told everyone that it's compulsory" Lexie said.

April chuckled; "I bet he did, he's excited about this event, more excited than all of us combined."

Lexie laughed; "Don't let him hear you say that, he'll be _benching _you till next week."

April huffed; "God knows I've already have enough of it!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I already spoke with Ari and everything is already set baby" Catherine said.

Jackson tore his eyes away from the documents his perusing; "That's good to hear" he replied.

Catherine sat on the chair right in front of her son's desk; "Are you going home or did you bring your tux with you?"

"I brought my tux" Jackson replied.

Catherine nodded; "Good, how about April?"

"I think she brought her dress with her, I'm not sure though"

Catherine stood up from her chair; "I'll go check on her then, make sure that she has everything she needs"

Jackson smiled at his mother; "Thank you" he said sincerely.

Catherine smiled back; "Anything for my son's lady love" she teased.

Jackson chuckled.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"What colour will you be wearing tonight?" Callie asked as she sidled up with Miranda.

Miranda wrinkled her nose as she stares at her friend; "Navy blue, did the board decide to change the colour of our scrubs?"

"What do you mean scrubs? I'm talking about the gala"

"Oh _that_, I'm not going"

Callie frowned; "Not going? Are we allowed to just _not _go?"

Miranda smirked; "I'm Bailey, I can do anything I want" she said before rounding the corridor.

Callie halted her steps; "What in the world is that reasoning?"

"There you are! I've been looking for you for ages"

Callie turned around and saw her wife walking towards her; "Err-why? Do you need a consult? Is it Sophia?"

Arizona stopped right in front of Callie and smiled widely; "Nope. I just want to tell you that Mark and Lexie agreed to babysit Sophia after the gala so-we have the night to ourselves"

Callie smiled; "Really?"

"Yep"

"You're brilliant"

"I know" Arizona replied smugly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Are you bringing Izzie tonight?"

"Yep" Alex replied as he continues tapping on his tab.

April smiled; "I can't wait, it's been a long time since I last saw her"

Alex placed his tab on top of the counter; "She visited you right after the accident but you were still unconscious"

April furrowed her brows; "Why didn't you tell me?"

Alex threw April a sheepish look; "I forgot?"

"April honey!"

"Is that who I think it is?" April half whispered.

Alex smirked; "Yep and she's coming your way, goodluck!" he said before scurrying towards the other direction.

April turned around and saw Catherine walking towards her; "Dr. Avery" she greeted with a smile.

Catherine stood right in front of the redhead; "What did I tell you about calling me Dr. Avery?" she said in a chastising manner.

April smiled sheepishly; "I forget" she said.

Catherine smiled; "Are you all set for tonight baby?"

April nodded; "I am. I already brought my dress with me so I don't have to go back to my apartment"

"Good" Catherine said.

"You'll be there right?" April asked.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, this is my baby's first gala after all"

April smiled; "And it will be amazing"

Catherine smiled back; "It will be, no doubt about that. Now, why don't you join me for coffee?"

"I'd love to but I still have a lot of documents to go through-"

"Oh hush! That can wait and besides I'm quite sure you need a break, staring at those papers is like sedative."

April giggled; "I can't agree with you more"

Catherine looped her arm around April's; "Let's go then"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I really hope this red carpet is something you had laying on around your house Avery" Owen said as he strikes a pose with the Plastic Surgeon in front of the camera. "We're trying to raise money tonight, not waste it."

Jackson smiled at the camera one last time before ushering Owen towards the entrance; "I grew up in this world, I know how it works. We're attracting serious people with serious money and tailoring an event to them. Based from my mother, tonight is gonna be tasteful, sophisticated and conservative."

Owen stepped inside the venue and his eyes grew wide upon seeing the spectacle before them; "You and I have very different definitions of the word _conservative_" he said before walking towards the guests.

Jackson's face morphed into a look of distaste as he scanned the room; he was looking at the jugglers when he spotted the event coordinator. He pursed his lips and made a bee line towards the woman; "Ari, what did you spend my money on?" he hissed.

"This is what you want. You want spectacle, _pizzazz_!" Ari exclaimed confidently.

"Do I look like someone who wants _pizzazz_?!"

Ari turned towards Jackson; "When people think of hospitals they think of death, disease and old people, not sexy. We're giving them Las Vegas, we're giving them a show, people are more inclined to open their wallets if they're having fun" she finished with a triumphant smile.

"Oh lord" Jackson said as he watches the clown right in front of them breathe fire.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Shane! Stephanie! It's just the two of you down here tonight so if you find yourselves in over your head, call a grown-up" April said while staring at her interns.

"Kid in bed 8 has abdominal pain and vomiting, if CT's negative, give him fluids and send him home" Alex said as he walks towards the nurses' station to deposit his tab.

April leaned on the counter and eyed Alex with amazement; "Don't we look spiffy" she teased.

"Yeah, I do." Alex replied. He then shifted his eyes towards the Trauma Surgeon and stared at her from head to foot; "You look like crap, why aren't you ready yet?" he asked.

April rolled her eyes; "I haven't had a chance to freshen up yet, you ass"

"Watch your back! Coming through!"

April shifted her eyes towards the E.R. doors; "Holy heck!"

"Hey! What's the story?" Stephanie asked.

"Once upon a time, three idiots got wasted and ran their car on a tree" Nicole said disdainfully while pushing on the gurney.

Shane moved towards the gurney; "They're drunk?"

Nicole shook her head; "No, high as kites. Lucky they were the only ones that got hurt"

"Hey Sinatra, I'll give you a fiver for a glass of wine" The patient croaked.

Alex moved towards the other side of the gurney; "Sir, what did you take?" he asked. After a moment of examining the patient's arm, he sighed; "It's _heroin. _Add a tox screen to their trauma labs" he said. "What's your name?"

"No I.D on any of them, we've been going with John, Jerry and Jake Doe" Nicole explained.

"Cute!" Stephanie said.

"Okay, let's hustle, get a full trauma work up so I can get upstairs and run a brush through my hair" April barked.

Stephanie and Shane nodded before carting the gurney towards the Trauma Rooms.

Alex turned towards the red head; "Why don't you go and get ready? Avery had to go there early so he asked me to wait for you"

"Where's Izzie?"

"She's running a little late, her surgery gone long. We'll be meeting her there" Alex replied.

April nodded; "Okay, I'll be back" she said walking away.

"Don't take too long!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Meredith Grey, as I live and breathe" Cristina said haughtily. She then walked towards Callie and stood beside her; "I haven't seen you in ages, how's Derek liking the Maternity Leave?" she asked with a smirk.

Meredith stopped right in front of her friends; "He's on Paternity Leave" she corrected. "We have a deal, I don't work, neither does he, it's working out well."

"I stayed at your house for a couple of nights, you're bored out of your minds" Callie said. She then turned towards Cristina and smirked; "They've got all this pent up surgical energy and now everything is a competition"

"It is not!" Meredith denied.

"And he is winning" Callie taunted.

"He is not winning! He couldn't even get Zola to put on her shoes tonight, I did that, I got her put her shoes on, so I'm winning!" Meredith said vehemently.

Cristina and Callie both threw Meredith a pitying look as a response.

"I need to go back to work" Meredith concluded.

Callie took a sip of her wine and began scanning the place; "This isn't half bad"

"Except for the freaky waiters" Cristina said.

"Hey ladies" Jackson said as he sidled up next to Meredith.

"Nice party Avery, did your mom plan all this or this all you?" Cristina asked curiously.

"Definitely not my idea and I doubt it's my mom's, its Ari's" Jackson said through gritted teeth.

Meredith chuckled; "Don't feel bad, it looks like everyone is enjoying"

"I hope so" Jackson sighed.

"Where's Kepner? I thought she'd come here with you?" Callie asked.

"She's still at the pit when I left but Alex will be waiting for her, they'll go here together" Jackson replied. "Have you guys seen Sloan?"

Callie pointed towards the bar; "He's right there"

Jackson turned towards the direction that Callie is pointing at; he stared at his mentor for a moment before shifting his gaze back towards the other surgeons. "You better put your game face on ladies, Sloan is already putting on his moves, remember, 20% cut for the department that raises the highest funds" he said with a large grin.

"Arggghhh! Derek and Lexie are double teaming and I think they have won that old lady over!" Meredith groaned. She then turned towards Cristina and threw her a pleading look; "You have to double team with me Cristina, we can't let Derek win this!"

"Come on Mer, you can do this-just be charming. Use the same skill you would if you were picking someone up at the bar and I know you know how to do that" Cristina said encouragingly. She then began scanning the crowd for her prey, after a moment, she felt a smile tug on her lips; "Oohh, Richie Rich, 10:00 o'clock" she said before making a bee line towards the unsuspecting man.

Meredith pointed towards Cristina; "Did she just?"

Jackson and Callie nodded; "She just did" the later said.

"Damn it!" Meredith hissed.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Alex placed his hand at April's back as he guided her towards the stairs; "Freaking hell, Avery wasn't kidding when he told me that there would be press here" he whispered.

"Press? Where?" April asked confusedly.

Alex pasted a smile on his lips; "People who are taking pictures by the door"

"Shit" April hissed. "I didn't know that this gala is a big thing"

"Me too" Alex replied. "I should've just stayed at the hospital and let Arizona do her thing."

"It's too late for that" April replied.

"Can we take a picture?"

April turned towards Alex; "Err-"

Alex pulled April to his side and wrapped his arm around her waist; "Come on, let's just get this over with" he whispered. "Smile"

"Okay" April replied before smiling at the camera.

"You two are a very lovely couple, thank you" The photographer said politely.

"Oh no honey, they are not a couple, she's my son's lady love"

April and Alex both turned around and saw Catherine walking towards them, a playful smile curling on her lips.

"It's nice seeing you two here" Richard said with a smile.

"Dr. Webber, Dr. Avery, good evening" Alex said politely.

"Good evening to you too" Catherine replied. She then turned towards the red head and beamed; "You look stunning April, I'm quite sure my baby boy will have a hard time taking his eyes off of you tonight."

April felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment; "Err-thank you Dr-Catherine"

Catherine threw April an approvingly look.

Alex cleared his throat; "Why don't we all head inside?"

Richard nodded in agreement; "That's a good idea, come on love, let's see if Ari outdid herself"

"Let's" Catherine replied.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Avery!"

Jackson turned around and saw Mark walking towards him; "Hey"

Mark stopped right in front of the young surgeon; "You bought Vegas in Seattle! Very clever"

"You like it?"

"I love it!" Mark said jovially.

Jackson smirked; "You love the theme or you love the acrobats dangling from the ceiling?"

Mark grinned widely; "You know me well" he replied. "Don't tell Lexie" he warned.

Jackson chuckled; "I don't think she'd notice you ogling other women, she's busy cavorting with Shepherd-they're wooing the people here by storm."

Mark smile faltered; "Really?"

"Really. They're playing hard ball, they want Neuro to get the incentive that my mom put into place"

Mark squared his shoulders and began straightening the imaginary creases on his coat; he then smoothed his hair back and flashed his infamous smile. "Time to switch to full gear then, there's no way in hell that those Neuro junkie will get that budget, it's ours."

Jackson raised his brow in amusement; "And how do you propose we do that?"

"Simple, I'll use my irresistible charm and you blind them with your Avery sparkle. Plastic Posses is back in action, so buck up because that 20% is ours by the end of this night."

"I don't think so, I say that 20% is ours"

Mark turned around just as Jackson peered behind Mark's shoulder.

April smiled widely, emphasizing her dimples perfectly with the angle she's standing.

Mark raked his eye at April's form before letting out an appreciative whistle; "Damn! This will be a stiff competition."

Jackson felt his heart beating fiercely inside his chest as he stares at the red head standing right in front of them; he swallowed the lump in his throat as he took a step towards her. "You look gorgeous"

April felt her cheeks flush upon hearing Jackson's compliment; "T-thank you...you look gorgeous too" she replied shyly.

Mark elbowed his prot; "Stop making her blush! Her dimple is enough to sway people to invest in Trauma, seeing her blush will only reinforce that decision" he chastised. He then shifted his eyes to April and smiled sexily; "Is it too late to entice you with Plastics?"

April can't help but giggle at Mark's question; "That smile won't work on me, I'm afraid-I'm immune"

Jackson walked toward April and fell into step with her; he gently wrapped his arm around her tiny waist and planted a chaste kiss on her temple. "Ignore Mark, he's just a little threatened"

Mark huffed; "Of course not. I'll get that 20% by the end of this gala" he said confidently. He then fixed his smile on his face and gestured towards the other side of the ballroom; "In fact, I'll start now. See you later lovebirds" he said before storming away.

Jackson shook his head; "He's taking this way too seriously."

April turned her head to the side and stared at Jackson; "Why do I feel like you're not up to it?"

Jackson turned his face towards April and met her eyes; "Who needs 20% when I have you in my arms?"

April blinked a couple of times before giggling; "You and your mouth"

Jackson smiled; "My mouth is very _talented, _need I remind you?" he asked huskily.

April's cheek flush even brighter; she hit Jackson's chest with the back of her hand before pulling away from him. "I'll go check on Hunt to see if he was able to convince some investors to loosen their wallets"

Jackson grabbed April's hand and pouted; "Do you really have to?"

April chuckled; "What kind of question is that? Of course I have to, we're not losing that cut just because you're being _clingy..._babe"

Jackson's lips curled into a smile as he stares at her intently; "You sure?"

April stared at Jackson for a couple of seconds before tugging her hand back; she narrowed her eyes at Jackson and threw him a chastising look. "Stop using your Avery sparkle on me, I'm immune to it"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Jackson said innocently.

April shook her head before turning around; "Go help Mark, I'll go find Hunt" she said.

Jackson sighed; "Fine."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"And that's not even close to the strangest thing I've seen, though honestly, that story I don't think is appropriate" Owen said comically.

"Well, I'll tell you what Chief, I'm gonna take a walk over to that table and I'm gonna stick a little something in that cash box. Now when I come back, maybe you'll be a little less reluctant to give up the goods Owen"

Owen chuckled as he watches the old man walk away; "Another one down" he murmured happily.

"That was a good story Chief, I'm impressed"

Owen turned around and saw his prot standing behind him; "Kepner! Thank god you're here, I need help"

April nudged Owen playfully; "You're doing fine, that old man seems to be taken with your story" she said. She then turned her face towards the cashbox direction and smiled triumphantly; "Now you have to think of what goods you'll be giving away because he just pulled out his wallet"

Owen peered behind April's back; "Damn I'm good" he said with a large smile.

April giggled; "How are we doing so far? I just arrived, I haven't talked with anyone yet" she said while eyeing the crowd.

"5 investors so far" Owen said proudly.

April's eyes widen in awe; "Wow, you're good at this"

Owen chuckled; "Years of practice" he said. He then subtly gestured towards the man standing by the bar; "You see that man? He's a CEO of a pharmaceutical company, want to give it a try?"

April turned her gaze towards the bar and saw a sandy blonde man drinking whiskey; "Err-do you think he'll talk to me?" she asked with uncertainty.

"You look very beautiful tonight April and no man in their right mind will refuse to have a conversation with you" Owen said with a sincere smile.

"Okay, but no promises okay? I just hope I don't annoy him even before he gets to pull his wallet out" April said with a nervous chuckle.

"Just don't ramble and you'll be fine, show your dimple, that's a sure wallet puller"

April smiled widely; "Like this?"

Owen nodded approvingly; "Just like that, now go get him soldier"

"Yes sir!" April mock saluted before walking towards the bar.

Owen can't help but laugh at April's antics.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"You're late, where you have you been?" Callie asked.

Arizona fell into step with her wife and planted a kiss on her cheek; "I'm sorry, surgery gone late" she explained.

"Did the kid survive?" Alex asked.

"Yep, he's stable for now" Arizona replied. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing much, Avery is just about ready to give out his speech" Callie replied.

"Good" Arizona replied. She then shifted her gaze towards Alex; "We're you able to convince some investors?"

Callie snorted; "He's making Izzie do all the work"

"I'm not!" Alex exclaimed. "She volunteered to help and she's way better than this so I let her"

"Alex!" Arizona said, clearly affronted.

Alex rolled his eyes; "Fine, I'll go talk to her or something" he said before turning around and walking away.

"I can't believe he did that!" Arizona said.

Callie shrugged her shoulders; "It's Karev, what do you expect?"

"Jackson is about to give his speech" April said perkily as she sidles up next to Arizona.

Arizona turned towards April and smiled; "Yep"

"Oh, there he is" Callie said excitedly.

Thank you, good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am Dr. Jackson Avery and on behalf of the board of Seattle Greys Memorial Hospital I just want to say Welcome and thank you so much for coming this evening. Now over the past year, we have seen many changes, from a change of name to a change of leadership and it has all been a challenge but it's a challenge that we've all been more than happy to accept-" Jackson was in the middle of his speech when he heard loud gasps coming from the audience, he quickly turned around just in time to see one of the acrobats landing hard on top of Ari, and just like that, the party is over and pandemonium broke loose. "Crap"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"That surgery was incredible, I haven't felt this relaxed in months" Meredith said with a large smile.

Derek stood behind his wife and met her gaze on the mirror; "Me either" he said.

Meredith smiled back; "What?" she asked when she noticed him staring.

"Reminiscing"

"About?"

Derek grinned widely; "You, me, an exam room and your panties pinned to a bulletin board"

Meredith chuckled as she spun around to face her husband; "Oh, the prom!" she exclaimed. She then shifted her eyes on Derek's suit and stared at it; "Except you didn't have blood on your suit and I wasn't wearing a sweatshirt"

"I think it's sexy" Derek said huskily.

Meredith met Derek's gaze again; "Now you're doing the sparkly eye thing"

Derek shook his head slowly; "I have no idea what you're talking about" he said innocently.

"Mhmmnnn..."

Derek smiled; "Is it working?"

Meredith pulled off Derek's bow tie before smiling widely.

Derek wasted no time, he wrapped his arms around Meredith's waist and hefted her from the ground.

Meredith squealed happily.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Jackson salvaged the night by giving the remaining guest an impromptu tour inside one of the hospital's O.R. gallery; he explained to them how their doctors perform daily miracles and why they badly needed their help in funding to be able to continue saving hundreds of lives. By the end of his speech, he was able to reach their targeted goal which automatically earns Plastics the 20% cut that his mother promised. His mentor was way over the moon and his mother is beaming with so much pride; now, he finds himself perched on top of the stage, trying to digest everything that just happened.

"That was impressive yet sneaky on your part"

Jackson's head snapped to the side; his lips instantly curling into a smile upon seeing April walking towards him. "You guys came second, I'm willing to give you 5% from our cut"

April stopped right in front of Jackson and smiled; "Nah, you won fair and square" she replied.

Jackson tugged on April's hand and pulled her towards him, making her stand between his legs; "Did I already tell you how gorgeous you are tonight?"

April raised her brow; "Just tonight?"

Jackson braised his hands on April's waist; "Nope, you're gorgeous every single day"

April lifted her hands to cup Jackson's face; "You look tired" she observed.

"Just a little"

April pulled her hands away and shifted closer to Jackson; she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. "You were amazing tonight" she murmured.

Jackson wrapped his arms around April's waist and buried his face into her neck; "Thank you" he replied while closing his eyes.

April began rubbing Jackson's shave head soothingly; "Poor baby"

Jackson hummed; "Can we stay like this for a couple of minutes? I just want to hug you..."

"Yep"

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Where have you been?" Lexie asked lowly.

Mark fell into step with his fiancé; "I just did a little something for my boy...you know, as a thank you for making us win and all" he whispered.

Lexie threw Mark a curious look; "What did you do?" she asked.

Mark turned his face towards Lexie and grinned widely; "You'll see in a minute"

Lexie turned her gaze back to the lovers and continued watching them.

The lights suddenly dimmed as soft melody began playing loudly inside the whole ballroom; "Show time" Mark said.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"_You know I'd fall apart without you, I don't know how you do what you do. 'Cause everything that don't make sense about me, makes sense when I'm with you. Like everything that's green, girl, I need you but it's more than one and one makes two, put aside the math and the logic of it you gotta know you're wanted too..."_

Jackson pulled his face away from April's neck and furrowed his brows in confusion; "What's going on?"

April pulled her arms away from Jackson's neck; "I have no idea"

Jackson moved his eyes back to April and stared into her hazel eyes; "I just realized something"

"What?" April asked.

Jackson let out a smile; "We haven't gotten the chance to dance yet"

April raised her brow; "Is that your way of asking me to dance Dr. Avery?"

Jackson steered April's body away from his before hopping down from the stage; he formally bowed his head and offered his hand. "May I have this dance?"

April bit her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling; "I don't mind" she replied before placing her hand on his.

Jackson smiled widely; he wrapped his arm around April's waist again and tugged her closer to his chest.

April automatically wrapped her arms round his neck and leaned her cheek on his chest.

"_'Cause I wanna wrap you up, wanna kiss your lips. I wanna make you feel wanted. And I wanna call you mine, wanna hold your hand forever and never let you forget it. Yeah, I, I wanna make you feel wanted..."_

"Would you think less of me if I tell you that I know this song?" Jackson asked.

April pulled her face away and tilted her face towards him; "Really?" she asked, surprise written on her face.

Jackson let out a sheepish grin; "Yeah" he admitted. "I'm not sweet talking your or anything but this song kinda reminds me of you"

April felt her heart burst with so much love for this man standing right in front of her and she badly want to tell him that but the pesky lump inside her throat is preventing her from doing so. She hugged him tighter and tried her best to calm thumping heart down; _"I will tell him, I just need a minute, take a deep breath April, you can do this" _she thought.

Jackson rested his cheek on April's temple and closed his eyes; _"When I wrap you up, when I kiss your lips. I wanna make you feel wanted and I wanna call you mine, wanna hold your hand forever and never let you forget it 'cause, baby, I, I wanna make you feel wanted..." _he sang lowly.

Hearing Jackson sing to her is the straw that broke the camel's back; she hastily pulled away and met Jackson's gaze directly.

Jackson's eyes snapped open and met April's eyes; "Sorry...I was carried away"

"I love you and I want you with me too"

Jackson's mouth hung open, his eyes widening in shock.

April cupped Jackson's face and pulled his face closer to hers; "Let's be together, I don't want to wait anymore, let's do this-I'm ready" she said seriously.

"Are you sure about this?" Jackson asked cautiously.

"I've never been this sure in my entire life"

Jackson's face broke into a large grin; he hefted April off the floor and began twirling her around happily. "FINALLY!"

April wrapped her arms around Jackson's neck while giggling; "Put me down Jackson, this is insane!"

Jackson chortled loudly before complying; "You made me so happy April...so happy"

"You make me happy too Jackson"

Jackson placed his hands on April's cheeks and pulled her face closer; "I think I'm gonna kiss my _girlfriend"_

April wrapped her hands on Jackson's wrist; "I think I want my _boyfriend _to kiss me too"

Jackson stared into April's eyes; "I love you April and I won't stop showing you how much"

"I love you too Jackson and I promise to let you"

Jackson grinned widely before capturing April's lips into their _first _long overdue couple kiss.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I'm good! Even the lighting is perfect, Avery will be kissing my ass for weeks for this" Mark said giddily as he lowered his phone.

"Call Callie and tell her that Sophia won't be staying with us tonight"

Mark let his hand drop and turned his head towards his fiancé; "What? Why?" he asked confusedly.

Lexie turned her face towards Mark and grinned widely; "Because she'll be staying at Mer's while I rock your world tonight."

Mark blinked a couple of times before lifting his phone again and hitting on speed dial; "Sophia will be staying at Derek's place tonight, have her ready in 5 minutes" he said curtly. He then shoved his phone inside his pocket and offered his hand to Lexie; "No time to waste" he said with a large grin.

Lexie placed her hand his; "I can't wait to rip that suit off of your body-what you just did for them? It's so _sexy" _she said huskily.

"Okay, that's it!" Mark said He plucked Lexie off the floor and hauled her into his shoulder, acting like a caveman.

Lexie let out tiny squeal.

Mark spanked Lexie's behind in chastisement; "Quiet! We don't want to disturb them"

Lexie stifled her giggles as she let Mark carry her towards the exit.

* * *

_**A/N: Sooooo- they're ****officially**** together, should I end this story here or should I continue to delve further? Let me know guys, you know I love hearing from you! Till next chapter! Cheers! ^-^**_


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